


A Place in Your World

by RowArk



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/F, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-09-23 14:23:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 34,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20341585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowArk/pseuds/RowArk
Summary: AU (mainly EF): 27-year-old Emma Swan is a single mom working two jobs and trying her best to raise her 10-year-old son in New York City. They don't have much, but Emma finds escape through painting, and while she creates an array of portraits of her take on well known fairy tale characters, Henry writes elaborate stories to go along with them. Well, what they think are just stories... a whole new adventure begins when Emma's favourite character - the so-called Evil Queen - steps right out of a painting and materializes in her kitchen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [[Art] A Place In Your World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20382139) by [Sarconistia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarconistia/pseuds/Sarconistia). 

> So, this is my first ever Supernova fic, and I didn't end up being able to take it quite as far as I wanted, so I did leave it open for a sequel, if people like it and want more! 
> 
> I also attempted to write this as though it was a fairy tale, so quick paced with a lot of things happening in a short time span.

Emma stared at the canvas in front of her, trying to decide if she was finished or not. Her latest rendition of ‘the Evil Queen’ (as Henry liked to call her) was the best one yet, in her own opinion. Those dark, menacing eyes seemed to bore a hole right into her, and yet, she thought they looked a little bit sad. There was a longing there, something Emma couldn’t quite figure out. She hadn’t meant to paint her that way, but somehow, it seemed to work. It gave her a layer of complexity Emma hadn’t been able to attain in any of her other paintings of the Queen.

Narrowing her eyes, she continued to scrutinize the painting. She’d dressed the Queen in a velvet dress, with a tight corset top that pushed up her bodice, and a skirt that flowed nicely, outlining her legs, outstretched on the chaise she rested in. Her jaw was set and her eyes gazed out with intensity, as though she was sizing up the viewer like prey. Still, somehow, she almost seemed to be inviting Emma into her space at the same time and - not for the first time - Emma wished she was real, and that she could just walk up and touch-

Emma shook her head to break herself of the Queen’s trance, and wiped her hands on her jeans, smearing even more paint on them than had been there before. Henry would be home from the library soon, and she really should get started on dinner. She smoothed out her hair and tightened her long blond ponytail as she headed into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cupboards for something to make for dinner. They were in desperate need of groceries, but Henry had outgrown another pair of shoes that had needed to be replaced, and it would be another week at least before Emma had money for food. Knowing Henry wouldn’t complain about having the same thing for a third night in a row, she pulled a can of chicken noodle soup from the cupboard. She opened the can and poured the contents into a sauce pan that was missing its handle, and went back to look at her painting again as she let the soup warm on the stove.

Crossing her arms and cocking her head to one side, Emma stared at the painting. She had painted the queen’s dress a deep blue this time, mainly because she’d run out of alizarin crimson so she’d had to make do with what she had on hand, but she felt like it gave this painting something that the others didn’t have. And, as she felt herself falling in love with yet another portrait of her make believe queen, she sighed, knowing this was yet another painting she would never even attempt to sell.

And that was supposed to be the point of all this, wasn’t it? Well, beside the fact that painting was one of the few things that brought her joy in this meager life, outside of Henry. She worked two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, and she was failing miserably at the second part more often than not, but painting … painting gave her a chance to escape. It was supposed to turn into a third source of income, but Emma hadn’t managed to pull that part off just yet.

Henry loved her paintings, too. Ever since he’d learned to read and write, he’d sat on the floor while she painted, writing elaborate fairy tales to go along with the paintings she was creating. For a brief, fleeting moment, Emma had considered that perhaps she could compile them together - her images with Henry’s words - and produce children’s books, but she had no idea where to start and no time to even try. 

Emma knew Henry needed to escape the mundane as much as she did - maybe even more so. At the age of ten, he was so smart and so precocious, but socially awkward. The kids at school picked on him relentlessly for having a young mom, and because they were so poor. Emma hated that there was nothing she could do to change either of those facts, but ever since her foster parents had kicked her out at the age of seventeen, when they found out she was pregnant, it had been just her and Henry against the world. And here, in their apartment, when they created magical stories together, that was the only time she felt like the world wasn’t winning.

Emma startled a little at the sound of the door opening behind her, drawing her from her thoughts.

“Hey, Mom,” Henry greeted as he strode through the door, his arms laden with library books. “What’s for dinner?”

“Chicken soup,” Emma said, scrunching her nose up apologetically at the answer.

“Cool,” Henry said with a shrug as he dropped the books on the couch. His eyes were already fixated on Emma’s newest painting. “You finished it?”

“I think so?” Emma said, following Henry’s gaze back to the canvas again. “What do you think?”

“I like it,” said Henry, with an emphatic nod, his eyes never leaving the painting.

“Well, you keep on contemplating it while I go finish up dinner, okay kid? Then you can hit me with your honest critique.”

Emma grabbed a dish towel from the drawer to use as a makeshift oven mitt, and carefully grabbed the hot pot from the stove, pouring it into two bowls. It wasn’t easy without a handle, but she’d gotten used to it after nearly a year of doing it this way. She dropped the pot into the sink and picked up the two bowls, calling for Henry to set up the TV trays.

They didn’t watch TV during dinner, but without a kitchen table, the couch and two TV trays were their only option for dining. Though a neighbour had recently managed to splice them free cable, she still insisted on no TV during dinner, since for years that had been her favourite time to sit and enjoy Henry’s company.

“How was the library?” Emma asked, as she watched Henry blow on his soup.

“Good. Basically empty, but I got a lot of books.”

“I can see that,” Emma said, with a smile. 

“Did you know she was once in love?”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Who? Mrs. Fulton?” she asked, referring to the librarian. She knew the sweet old lady had taken quite a shine to Henry over the years, but she hadn’t really expected for her to start divulging her love life to a ten year old.

“No!” Henry said, with a laugh. “Well, maybe, I guess, but I meant the Evil Queen. Before she was evil. When she was good.”

“She used to be good?” Emma asked, with a quick glance to her painting. When Henry was younger, he used to tell her stories about her characters all the time, but in the last year or so he’d become a little more self-conscious and secretive about his stories, so she was eager to hear what he’d come up with now.

“Mm-hmm,” Henry said, through a mouthful of soup, swallowing it before he continued. “When she was young, she was good. It was her mother who was really evil. She just wanted to use her to gain power. She even named her Regina, because she was so determined to make her a queen. It means Queen, you know?”

“Regina,” Emma repeated. Until this moment, the queen hadn’t had a name, but she could tell Henry had put a lot of thought into this, and she had to admit, the name suited her. “So tell me about this love of hers?”

“Well…” Henry started slowly, and for a moment Emma thought maybe he’d regretted starting. “He was a stable boy, and he was poor, so of course Regina’s mother didn’t approve. She didn’t want her daughter marrying a commoner, you know? So she killed him before they could run away and get married.”

“That’s terrible,” Emma said, frowning slightly. None of the stories Henry had told her had contained murder, before now.

“Yeah,” Henry agreed. “Awful. And Regina was devastated. And her mother forced her to marry a King and become a Queen. And King had a daughter, who was...”

“Snow White?” Emma guessed, and Henry grinned.

“Oh, so you already know this story,” he chided.

“Vaguely,” Emma admitted. “But I like your version much better.”

“You haven’t even heard my version!”

“Well then tell me. I’m on the edge of my seat.”

Henry rolled his eyes, but delved into the story anway. “Well, you see, Regina was planning on running away with the stable boy so she didn’t have to marry the King, but Snow White told Regina’s mother, and Regina’s mother killed the stable boy. She ripped his heart right out of his chest!”

“Well, that’s morbid. Why would Snow White tell?” Emma asked.

“Well, she didn’t mean to, really. She was just a kid, and she thought she was helping. But then Regina had to marry the King, and she was miserable. Her life basically sucked, and she spent all her time blaming Snow White for it.”

“Well, can you blame her?”

Henry shrugged. “I guess not. But then Regina had the King killed so she could finally be free, and she wanted Snow White’s heart as well, for her revenge. It never had anything to do with Snow White being prettier than her.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of a weak motive,” Emma agreed. “Yours is much better. You’re a good story-teller, Henry.”

“Thanks,” Henry said, looking down at his soup, unable to hide how red his ears were growing at the compliment.

“So what happened next?”

Henry shrugged. “Don’t know. Her story’s not over yet. Snow White is still out there someplace, and Regina’s still trying to find her and kill her. But she doesn’t know that even if she succeeds, it won’t bring her happiness. Her anger is all she knows.”

“Kinda makes you wanna give her a big hug, doesn’t it?” Emma commented, casting her eyes toward her painting again. Somehow, the Evil Queen’s eyes had a new level of depth and sadness now that she had a name and a story, even if it was all made up.

“Yeah,” Henry agreed. “Maybe paint her happy and I can write her a happy ending?”

“Maybe,” Emma said, though the idea of painting the Queen happy had never crossed her mind before. Somewhere deep inside, where she got the inspiration for the images she painting, something told her how to execute them, and that little voice always told her to paint the Queen sad. She’d never thought to question it before.

After dinner, she sent Henry off to his room to work on his homework, and she started on the dishes. She shoved a dishcloth into the drain and began filling the sink, reminding herself yet again that she really needed to get to the dollar store and get a new drain stopper, since the last one had cracked. It had been on her to do list for ages, but the list just kept growing and growing and there just never seemed to be enough hours in the day.

At least, with only two of them, cleaning up from dinner was a quick task. She’d never imagined, when she’d met Neal at the age of seventeen, that ten years later he’d be long gone from their lives, and she’d be raising their kid alone, but, despite everything, she wouldn’t want it any other way. 

Even if being a single mom did get lonely sometimes...

That night, after Emma had gone to bed, and long after Henry was supposed to be asleep, he sat up cross legged in his bed, blanket pulled over his head so his mother wouldn’t see the light from the flashlight under his door if she happened to get up in the night. Henry often spent his nights like this, reading, distracting himself from the worry of what the next day would bring. While Emma knew some of the torment he faced from his classmates, he kept a lot of it a secret too, knowing that she had enough stress to deal with as it was.

Today, a boy named Kenny, who was a year older and nearly a foot taller than Henry, had told him he better watch his back tomorrow. Henry tried to keep to himself as much as possible, but for some reason, even sitting alone at lunch, nose buried in a book, was enough of a reason for Kenny and his friends to torment him.

But that was a tomorrow problem, Henry decided.

Tonight, he opted for writing over reading, plotting out another adventurous chapter of his Snow White and the Evil Queen story, inspired by Emma’s newest painting. This story came so easily to him, as if inspired by some force outside of himself, but he had a hard time believing it was good, despite what his mother said.

Under his bed, he had piles of notebooks filled with stories from the Enchanted Forest - a whole world that no one knew existed, except for him. He let his mother in, just a little, but he wasn’t ready to share the depths he had taken it to - not until it was perfect.

And especially not since he’d recently written himself and his mother into the story. 

Henry smiled to himself as he finished the chapter, but his smile quickly faded as he closed the notebook and left the Enchanted Forest, and was once again sitting in his bed in their tiny apartment above the noisy street. Here, life wasn’t such an adventure - at least not the kind he craved in the fairy tale world he’d concocted. 

As he tucked his notebook under his pillow and clicked the flashlight off, Henry made the same wish he made every night: that tomorrow a miracle would happen.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning came far too early, as it usually did, and Emma groaned as she rolled over and turned off the glaring tone of her alarm clock. She glanced out the window and groaned again at the dreary sky above, knowing that the rain would mean the subway would be packed, and there was no way she could afford an extra five minutes of sleep this morning.

“Henry, time to get up!” she called as she walked past his bedroom door on the way to the bathroom, still half-asleep as she shoved a toothbrush in her mouth. As she brushed her teeth, she couldn’t shake the sudden feeling that she was forgetting something, though for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Come on, kid, I’ll grab you a bowl of Cheerios!” she called again. She prefered Froot Loops, but Henry was on a Cheerios kick lately, and cereal tended to last longer when they each had their own. She made her way toward the kitchen, and stopped dead in her tracks on the way.

Tilting her head to the side in confusion, Emma stared at the easel that stood in the entryway, her mouth dropping open. “Henry?” she called again.

“Yeah, I’m coming, Mom!”

“No, kid, did you touch my painting last night?”

“No,” Henry said, coming up behind her and following her gaze to the empty easel, and then the canvas on the floor, which lay in shreds.

“Henry-”

“No, Mom, I didn’t! I swear! I would never-”

They both fell silent as they heard a bang from the kitchen, as though someone had just slammed a cupboard door shut. 

“Stay here,” Emma said, pushing Henry behind her as she crept toward the kitchen door, though she knew by this point whomever was in the kitchen must be aware of their presence and didn’t seem to care.

Emma came to a halt the second she saw the person standing before her. There, in all her glory, standing on worn-out linoleum floor, was the Evil Queen, her hair and dress exactly as Emma had painted them the day before.

“What. The. Fuck,” Emma said, her eyes wide as they were met by the Queen’s already livid expression. Her mind raced as she wondered who would pull a prank like this… who even knew about her paintings, aside from Henry?

“Who the hell are you?” The Queen demanded, and Emma couldn’t help the laugh of disbelief that escaped her throat at the idea she was being interrogated by an intruder in her own home.

“I could ask you the same question. Who the  _ fuck _ are you and why are you in my home?” Emma countered, her mind racing now. Was Neal behind this? Had he tracked her down after all of these years? Was he getting some sort of sick revenge on her for never telling him about Henry?

Emma’s thoughts were cut short as she watched the Queen lift a hand and form a fireball in her palm, right before her eyes, just as Emma had painted so many times before. “Oh, shit!” Emma said, attempting in vain to step out of the way before it could be hurled at her.

“Hey!” came Henry’s voice from behind her. “You can’t do that!”

The Queen cocked her head to the side. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do, boy!”

“No! This… this is… the land without magic!” Henry said, and Emma could tell he was making it up on the spot. “It won’t work.”

To Emma’s disbelief, she watched the fireball extinguish itself immediately, and though Regina tried to bring it back again, she could manage no more than a flicker of light each time.

“See?” Henry said, relief in his voice.

“Well,” Regina said slowly, eyeing the two of them up, “if the two of you are my captors, I’ll be on my way. I don’t need magic to defend myself from a clearly terrified woman and a small child.”

“I’m not terrified,” Emma said, defensively. “And we’re not your captors.”

“And you can’t leave,” Henry chimed in.

Regina raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I thought you weren’t my captors.”

“We’re not,” Henry said, looking at the floor for a moment before coming up with an idea. “We’re your saviors. You were, um, captured, and we… brought you here! To, uh, you know, hide you. Until we can get you back to the Enchanted Forest. You can’t leave. It’s not safe.”

“Jesus Christ, I’ve gotta be dreaming,” Emma said, shaking her head. 

“You and I both,” Regina agreed.

“I don’t think this is a dream,” Henry said.

“Kid,” Emma sighed, turning to him, feeling more reassured now that she was convinced she was dreaming. “What other explanation is there? Regina didn’t just step out of a painting.”

“Excuse me. It’s ‘Your Majesty’,” Regina piped up, indignantly.

“Whatever,” Emma said, not even turning to look at her. “Now, let’s go. As soon as we step out of that door, I bet I wake up.”

“And when do you plan to send me back home?” Regina demanded, as Emma grabbed Henry’s backpack from the chair in the entryway and shoved it into his hands as she made her way to the door.

“Five minutes,” Emma said, urging Henry out into the hallway. She was suddenly so tired.

“Mom, I really don’t think it’s a dream,” Henry said as they headed toward the stairs. “I don’t think she’s safe there alone.”

Emma shook her head. “It’s a dream. I’m gonna wake up any minute.”

By the time she boarded the subway train, Emma was a little less convinced it was a dream, and not sure which she regretted more: the fact that she was about to show up to work in the same jeans and t-shirt she’d fallen asleep in the night before, or the fact that she had just left a complete stranger alone in her home.

She knew she should be more worried about the second part than she was, but she didn’t have anything of value, and Henry was safe at school, and she assumed the intruder would leave before she got back and she could work on figuring the rest out later.

By 2:00pm, Emma had been sent home from work early because the diner was dead. It was still overcast, but it hadn’t yet started to rain, so she walked the few blocks back to her apartment, figuring some fresh air would help her clear her head.

Maybe she wasn’t dreaming, but perhaps she had been overtired this morning? The more she replayed the events in her head, the more ridiculous they seemed. Her brain must have been playing tricks on her and she was remembering things that didn’t happen. Because there was absolutely no way that had happened.

Either way, she wasn’t fully prepared to walk into her apartment and find it completely ransacked. And she certainly wasn’t prepared to see the Queen still there, looking just as enraged as she had a few hours before.

“What… the fuck…” Emma said, her eyes scanning the mess around her apartment.

“Your boy, he said you were my savior,” Regina said, accusingly.

Emma shook her head. “Yeah. Right. So… you destroyed my home as a thank you?”

“Home?” Regina scoffed, looking around. “You call this a home?”

“Hey, you don’t get to judge me,” Emma shot back. Her apartment may not be much, but she and Henry had made it home.

“Well, in any event, I’d like an explanation as to why you have portraits of Snow White in your… home.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Shit,” she muttered, as she dodged her way past Regina and headed toward her bedroom. If Regina knew there were paintings of Snow White, then she’d been in there already.

Sure enough, the handful of paintings Emma had created of her version of Snow White lay scattered on the floor, all with X’s scratched over the eyes. Emma closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, squeezing her hands into fists to try to control the anger that threatened to escape. She swallowed, and turned to face Regina, who had followed her the short distance down the hall.

“Did you really have to destroy them all?” she asked, her voice tight.

Regina shrugged. “She destroyed my life, and-”

“No,” Emma stopped her. “This is… insane. This… fuck, this has to be a dream. Or… or a nervous breakdown or something. Snow White isn’t real. The Evil Queen isn’t real. You didn’t… step out of a painting and become real. This… it’s not happening. It’s not.”

Regina stared at her, dumbfounded, as Emma pushed her way past her and headed back toward the living room.

“How do I know you’re real?” Regina huffed, as she stomped down the hall after Emma. “All of these… things you have. They’ll all foreign and… odd. This is could be a dream, but I’m the one dreaming.”

Emma shrugged and she bent to pick up a knocked over lamp and put it back on the end table it belonged on. “Who knows? Maybe you are.”

Regina frowned, clearly unsatisfied with that response. “I’m still waiting for an explanation on those paintings.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Emma said, stacking Henry’s scattered library books back on the chair he’d left them on. “And did you have to throw the books around? I’m sure you know what a book is. It’s not foreign or odd.”

“I was looking for some indication of where I am and who you are,” Regina said, as though that gave her every right to ransack the apartment.

“Right. Well, where you are is New York City, and who I am is a pissed off, exhausted single mom who’s so over this bullshit.” 

“You speak like a common peasant,” Regina scoffed, folding her arms over her chest, challengingly.

“Because I am,” Emma replied, picking up another lamp on the other side of the family room. “You broke this. Are you happy?”

“Do I look happy?” Regina retorted.

“No.” Emma let out a quick sigh. “Look, why don’t you just go… sit over there and don’t touch anything for a while, hmm? Let me get this place cleaned up and figure out what the hell is going on, alright?”

Regina scowled, but did as Emma had asked, perching herself on the edge of the couch and turning her back to Emma.

Emma began picking up the shredded pieces of canvas that had been scattered all over the floor since that morning. She held up each piece, finding parts of the floor, walls and even the chaise she had painted, but not a single piece of canvas contained any part of Regina’s figure.

“Not possible,” Emma muttered to herself as she crumpled the pieces of canvas up in her hand and tossed them into the trash can. “She did not come to life. She did not step out of a painting. This is not possible.”

Regina was still perched on the edge of the couch by the time Henry got home from school, and Emma had gotten the living room almost back to its normal condition, minus a few broken fixtures. She was searching through a kitchen drawer for her gorilla glue when Henry flung the apartment door open.

“She’s still here!” he said, excitedly, as Emma shut the drawer. Finding the glue and fixing the lamp would have to wait, because she wasn’t about to let Henry spend time alone with Regina after she’d tried to fireball Emma just this morning.

“Apparently so,” said Emma, not even attempting to hide her annoyance at the fact.

“This is great! Isn’t this great?” Henry didn’t wait for Emma to respond as he bounded into the family room, tossing his backpack on the floor and sitting down next to Regina. “Look, Reg… uh, Your Majesty, I got you some books from my school library. I figured, then you wouldn’t be bored when I’m at school and my mom’s at work.”

Emma crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame, tilting her head to the side as she watched Regina interact with Henry. Her expression seemed to soften when he was talking, and she even took the small pile of books he’d given her. Emma wondered how on earth Henry would even know what kind of books Regina would like, until she remembered that he’d written her. Of course he knew her.

There was something compelling about the way that Regina looked at Henry. Something soft and almost caring in her eyes. Something that Emma hadn’t expected to see. 

But she quickly shook herself out of it, remembering that Regina wasn’t real and for all she knew she could be hallucinating.

Henry kept Regina occupied while Emma dug out her old laptop and sat down on the ledge of the low window in the family room, placing the old dinosaur on her lap and attempting to get it to boot up. It had been on the fritz for years, but she hoped that she could get it to run long enough to hop on the neighbour’s WiFi and try to see if she could figure out what was going on. 

But it was no use, and before long, Henry was complaining of hunger, asking when dinner would be. Emma sighed, glancing at the clock and deciding maybe the laptop could wait - she wasn’t sure exactly how it was supposed to help her anyway, but she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing when she could be googling hallucinations or something of the sort. Henry followed Emma into the kitchen, where she immediately started rummaging through the cupboards to find something to cook.

“Oh, we have a can of tomato soup,” Emma said, pulling the can out from the back of the cupboard. “And we still have half a bag of bread. Check the fridge and see if there’s two slices of cheese left, and I’ll make grilled cheese to go with it.”

“Three slices,” Henry corrected, as he stepped over to the fridge and pulled it open.

“Three? You’re feeling extra hungry?”

Henry pulled the nearly empty package of cheese slices from the fridge, along with a tub of margarine, and put them on the counter. “No… we have to feed Regina, too. She probably hasn’t eaten all day.”

“She’s not real, Henry.”

“Mom. Seriously. You can’t seriously still think this is a dream.”

Emma said nothing as she started opening the can of soup, as though suddenly it required her undivided attention.

“Mom,” Henry tried again, and sighed when she didn’t answer. “Well… if she is a dream, then it won’t matter if you make her food, will it?”

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll make her food if it makes you happy,” Emma conceded. 

Henry got to work setting up the TV trays as Emma cooked dinner. There were only two, so Henry slid the coffee table a little closer to the couch, and dropped a pillow on the floor beside it, apparently opting to give up his seat to let the Queen have a spot on the couch.

For her part, Regina still sat perched on the edge of the couch cushion, the pile of books Henry had given her clutched tightly on her lap, staring out the window mostly, but occasionally stealing glances at Henry. Emma watched her from the doorway of the kitchen, and noted the confused expression on her face, interlaced with an unmistakable undertone of sadness.

Crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame, Emma frowned. As convinced as she was that none of this could possibly be real, a big part of her wanted to go over to Regina right now and give her a tight hug, just as she had when Henry had told her his version of the Queen’s life story the night before. Her apartment may be have been in shambles when she’d gotten home, but if she didn’t know any better, she’d say Regina looked more scared than angry, at this particular moment.

She was pulled away from her thoughts by the sudden ear splitting screech of the fire alarm, and she turned back to the kitchen, noting with dismay that the burner the soup pot was on had set on fire. Again.

She grabbed a cloth and pushed the pot off the burner before covering the flames with a pot lid, suffocating the fire.

“It’s fine,” she said, noticing that both Henry and Regina had appeared in the doorway, each with hands clamped tightly over their ears. She kicked a plastic footstool toward the middle of the kitchen and climbed up to fan the smoke away from the fire alarm with the cloth still in her hand. Moments later, the sound stopped, though Emma’s ears were still ringing as she stepped back down.

“Old elements,” she said with the shrugged, nodding toward the stove. “It happens sometimes.”

Regina looked absolutely distraught as Henry urged her back toward the living room. 

Sighing, Emma surveyed the contents of the pot, and decided the soup was still fine. She divided it up into three bowls as the grilled cheese finished, and then called Henry to help her bring everything into the other room.

It was Henry who proudly set the steaming bowl of soup and the plate of grilled cheese down on Regina’s tray.

“What… is this?” Regina asked, eyeing the food suspiciously.

Henry laughed as he placed a spoon down for her. “Dinner,” he said with a shrug. “Grocery day’s not til next week.”

Regina raised an eyebrow. “You eat this?”

“Hey,” Emma cut in. “It’s rude to insult the host’s food.”

“I’m not sure this is food,” Regina insisted, earning another laugh from Henry and a glare from Emma.

“Well, it’s all the kitchen’s serving today, so eat it or don’t,” Emma said, sliding awkwardly into her spot next to Regina on the couch as Henry settled down on his pillow on the floor.

“And this is how people in this realm eat?” Regina questioned as she watched Henry pick up half his grilled cheese and dunk it into his soup before taking a large bite. “You don’t have… dining rooms?”

Emma shrugged. “Some people do. Henry and I are not so… fortunate. But it’s cool, isn’t it, kid?”

Henry nodded his agreement. 

Emma watched from the corner of her eye as Regina tentatively picked up a spoon and dipped it into her soup, picking up only the tiniest amount to try. 

“It’s not… terrible,” Regina conceded after a small taste.

“That sounds high praise coming from the Queen of an entire realm,” Emma said, shooting a smirk and a wink at Henry, who was absolutely beaming.

“Not the entire realm,” Regina corrected.

“Well still. We’ve never had royalty over for dinner.”

“Why do I get the distinct impression that you’re mocking me?” Regina asked, casting an accusatory glance at Emma.

Emma just shook her head. “Just trying to make light of a fucked up situation.”

“Mom!” 

“Sorry. A messed up situation.”

The rest of dinner was fairly silent, and Emma noted that Regina never once touched her grilled cheese, though she did finish the entire bowl of tomato soup. Emma wasn’t sure if it was the prospect of eating it with her hands that had turned the Queen off, or if it was the tight corset top of her dress that made bread a poor life choice.

Either way, Regina made no protest as Henry grabbed the sandwich from Regina’s tray and began to eat it himself, and Emma got up to clear the dishes.

While she worked on cleaning up from dinner, Emma couldn’t help but smile to herself as she overheard Henry trying to teach Regina about some of the technology from their world. She hadn’t heard him quite this exuberant in some time, and despite the craziness of this entire situation, it made her heart flutter to hear her son so carefree and relaxed.

Emma bit her lip, realizing that a big part of her was starting to hope this wasn’t all a weird, incredibly lucid dream, and she knew she was setting herself up for a huge disappointment when she woke up to discover that none of this was real.

Granted, she knew she’d be relieved to find her apartment undestroyed, but she’d still take a few broken things if it meant hearing Henry sound this happy.

The Queen seemed thoroughly enthralled by all that Henry was telling her, though Emma wasn’t convinced that she was actually following any of it. Still, even Regina seemed more calm and relaxed now, and Emma set about restoring some order to the rest of things in her apartment, completely unnoticed by the two chatting on the couch.

Before she knew it, the sun was starting to set. 

“Bedtime, Henry.”

“But Mom!”

“You should listen to your mother,” Regina cut in, before Emma had a chance. “Little boys need their rest.”

Emma cocked her head to the side and stared at Regina for a moment, before pulling herself back to her present thoughts. “Yeah… yeah, they do,” she agreed.

“Fine,” Henry said, getting up from the couch with a sigh, and then pausing as a thought seemed to occur to him. “Uh… Mom? Where’s Regina going to sleep?”

The question caught Emma off-guard, and she stopped herself before she could say Regina wasn’t real and didn’t need to sleep. “I guess… well, the couch pulls out.”

“This?” Regina asked, motioning to the couch she was still sitting on.

“Yeah,” Emma said with a shrug. “It’s a sofa bed. It… well, it turns into a bed.”

Something like anger flashed in Regina’s eyes for a moment, though it was less intense and quicker to pass than it had been this morning. Still, she shot back with, “I will not be sleeping here. It is unfit for a Queen.”

Emma let out an exasperated sigh, and then shook her head. She guessed it didn’t matter, really, because soon enough she’d wake up and this would all be over. “Well, then I’ll sleep there and you can have my bed. You destroyed my bedroom anyway.”

Regina made an unamused sound, but reluctantly agreed, and followed Emma down the hall as she ushered Henry into his room.

“I, uh, have some pajamas you can borrow,” Emma said, motioning toward her dresser once Regina had followed her into her bedroom. “They aren’t like, regal, or anything. But probably more comfortable than sleeping in that dress.”

Regina swallowed and plastered on a fake smile. “I’m sure they will suffice.”

“Right. Uh, let me just grab something to sleep in, and then the bed’s all yours.”

Regina’s smile remained tight as she watched Emma grab some clothes from the drawer. Emma paused before leaving the room, and against her better judgement, decided to ask Regina if she was okay.

Regina let out a small laugh. “Well, I suppose okay is relative in this situation.”

“Right, okay, good night then.”

“Wait,” Regina stopped her, dropping the fake smile and closing her eyes for a moment. “I apologize. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful. Henry insists that you two are helping me and… he seems like a good boy.”

Emma smiled. “Yeah, he is. He seems to have taken quite a shine to you. And I noticed you have no problem with him calling you by you first name.”

This time, Regina’s small smile was more genuine. “I shall miss him when I return to the Enchanted Forest. Which will be soon, I presume?”

Emma nodded emphatically. “Yeah, real soon. Like, hopefully tomorrow morning, if we’re all lucky.”

“Very good. Well, good night then…” Regina paused, tilting her head to one side. “I’ve just realized, you’ve never told me your name.”

“It’s Emma.”

Again, the fake smile crept unto Regina’s lips. “Well, good night, Emma.”

Back in the living room, it took a few attempts to get the couch to pull out into a bed. They didn’t tend to have guests stay over, and Emma wasn’t sure the bed had ever been pulled out after the first week they’d picked up the couch, second-hand, four years ago. She and Henry had camped out on the pull out bed for a week straight when they’d first acquired it, but the novelty had worn off quickly.

Emma tossed a spare pillow and a blanket on the bed, and crawled in. It was far less comfortable than she’d remembered, and there was a bar irritating her back already, but she supposed she could survive one night.

After all, it wasn’t a real night, and though she hadn’t woken up yet, she was sure that once she fell asleep in her dream, she would wake up in real life. It had to work that way, didn’t it?


	3. Chapter 3

_ Emma’s outside someplace - a horse paddock, maybe? - she isn’t sure, but she’s standing up on the bottom rung of the fence, leaning forward on folded arms resting on the top slat of wood, watching someone in the distance. Yes, it is a figure on a horse, doing show jumps that Emma’s only ever seen on TV before, but right now, she’s really into it. She’s grinning like an idiot at whomever is across that field, but she just can’t make out the face. _

_ The horse turns and starts a slow trot in Emma’s direction, and the figure is waving to her. Emma waves back, but is suddenly aware of how bright the sun behind the rider is. It’s getting brighter and brighter, forcing her to squint as she tries to make out the shadowy face - _

Emma blinked against the sun coming in from the living room window, and it took a moment to get her bearings. She shook the dream away from her mind as she rolled away from the assaulting stream of light. She felt the bar in her back and remembered that she was on the sofa bed and not in her room. She blinked a few times, trying to push the memory of that odd dream from her mind.

As she sat up, Emma’s eyes widened as she heard the distinct sound of two voices having a conversation, and her head snapped toward the window. Sure enough, Henry and Regina were seated right by the window, looking out at the street below.

Emma shook her head in disbelief at the queen she was sure would have been gone by now. Regina was wearing the same dress as yesterday, but her hair was loose now, flowing long around her shoulders and down her back. Henry was still in his pajamas, and too involved in explaining to Regina about cars and street lights and roads to even notice that Emma was awake.

Emma cleared her throat, and Henry’s head snapped over to her. He was wearing a huge grin, but that didn’t deter Emma from getting up and ushering him toward his room so they could talk in privacy.

“We’ll be right back,” Henry called to Regina as Emma all but pushed him down the hall. 

Once they were in his room, Emma shut the door and turned to him with an expression of panic and disbelief. “Kid?! How… how is she still here? What is happening?”

Henry’s grin didn’t falter as he moved toward his bed and pulled an old book out from under his pillow. “I think I know,” he said, flipping the worn book open to a page he’d marked. “Remember this book of unexplained weird stuff I got from that flea market?”

Emma nodded, distinctly remembering having to put that book on top of the refrigerator for months after Henry had read about the Jersey Devil and become too scared to keep reading. She’d wanted to throw it out, but he’d insisted he just needed a break for a while. She didn’t even realize he’d taken it back.

“Well,” Henry began to explain excitedly, “last night I suddenly remembered something I read in here. Have you heard of tulpas?”

Emma shook her head, exasperated. “No… what?”

“Tulpas,” Henry repeated. “They’re like… things we think into existence. Thoughtforms.”

“Henry… that… that’s not real.”

“But, Mom, it makes sense. There’s ancient Buddhist texts about this… people use mental powers to believe something and it… it… it manifests into a real thing. Maybe we believed Regina into existence.”

Emma swallowed, shaking her head again. “But… how? I didn’t believe she was real. I still don’t.”

“Mom,” Henry said, closing the book, “she’s obviously real.”

“Right, no, she’s clearly a human being, but… Regina? Henry… how do we know this isn’t some sort of elaborate scheme. She could be an actress.”

“How would someone pull that off? No one even comes here… no one sees your paintings but me. No one knows the stories I wrote about her but you… how could someone else do this? And… why?”

Emma stared at Henry for a long time, processing. And finally, “... a thoughtform?”

Henry smiled and gave a little shrug. “You got a better explanation?”

Emma shook her head. She really didn’t. As much as she wanted to believe this was a huge set-up, Henry was right. No one knew about her paintings, or his stories. And that didn’t even account for the amount of effort it would take to find an exact doppelganger of the queen she loved to paint. On top of that, the even bigger question would be, why would anyone go to that trouble? They didn’t even have two cents to their name.

Emma sighed, knowing at the very least she’d have to entertain this idea until they came up with a better answer. “So, if we made her, how do we… undo it?”

Henry frowned. “You wanna destroy her?”

“No!” Emma gasped. “Nothing that… brutal. Just… send her back where she came from, maybe? She doesn’t belong here… even you have to admit that.”

Henry nodded. “Well… we have library computer time in class today. I’m already done my research for the project… maybe I can see what I can find out on the internet?”

Emma nodded. “Yes, yes. Do that. And I’ll… I think I should maybe call out from work today. Things will be a little tighter next week, but…”

“But you don’t want Regina to destroy anything else?” Henry suggested.

“Yeah.”

After a frenzied morning of getting Henry breakfast while Regina refused to even consider eating cereal, Henry was ready for school and out the door and Emma wasn’t nearly ready to face a day alone with the Queen who may or may not be some sort of supernatural mind creation.

“Henry was telling me about your world,” Regina started, the moment the door closed behind him. “I was thinking perhaps there’s a market nearby where you could get some food? I’m going to starve to death if all you have to offer is this bowl of… confection.”

Emma frowned as she picked Henry’s cereal bowl up from the TV tray and headed to the kitchen. “Unfortunately, your Majesty, food costs money and money is in short supply around here. Shorter now that I didn’t go to work today so I could stay home and babysit you.”

“Well I have asked you more than once to return me to my home,” Regina reminded her.

“Yeah. And as soon as Henry figures out how, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. But until then, we’re stuck with each other.”

“Cramped up in this tiny space.”

“Listen: you don’t have to like it here, but can you at least stop insulting my home? I try my best, okay? But it’s not easy living paycheck to paycheck when everyone always wants more money. But I suppose you wouldn’t know what that’s like, would you? You’ve always been rich.”

Regina opened her mouth to protest, but seemingly thought better of it. “You’re… right. I’m sorry. You’re being very hospitable, considering the circumstances, and I am not being a very good house guest.”

Emma let out a long sigh and turned to look at Regina. “Look… I know this isn’t easy for you either, and I know you don’t want to be here. Everything’s a mess and we’re trying to figure it out so just like… bear with me, okay?”

“Would you like me to help you clean up the mess I left in your room?” Regina suggested.

It took Emma by surprise. “Uh… sure,” she said, leading the way back to her bedroom, where her paintings still lay on the floor.

“These are quite good,” Regina said, holding up a toppled over portrait of Tinker Bell. “I used to know her.”

“Yeah? That was one of the first pieces I did. There’s this flea market a few blocks from here and I got a table one weekend when I first started painting… Henry was about two, I think, and I loaded up his stroller with paintings and set them all up. He cried that whole day and no one even stopped at my booth. But I do remember someone walking by and saying, ‘that’s supposed to be Tinker Bell?’ in this sarcastic tone. I kind of… lost confidence after that.”

Regina narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the painting. “It looks exactly like her. That person clearly had no idea what they were talking about.”

“Clearly,” Emma said, sighing as she picked up one of her destroyed Snow White pieces. “Guess I’m never going to be able to sell this one.”

“I think it’s an improvement,” Regina said, but her eyes widened immediately, as though she regretted it. “That’s not a criticism of your skill, of course, just of your choice in subject matter.”

“Of course,” Emma said, but she wouldn’t help but smirk a little. Oddly, Regina wasn’t so bad when she was trying to be civil. Emma could almost get used to her like this.

“You look at little bit like her,” Regina commented, narrowing her eyes on the painting again.

“You think so?” Emma asked, taken by surprise. “I don’t really have references or anything. I just kind of paint what pops into my head.”

“The likenesses are uncanny,” Regina said, picking up another painting and surveying it. “It’s impressive that you can paint people you’ve never even met with such realism.”

Emma sighed, knowing it wasn’t impressive how accurate the paintings were, since she and Henry had apparently willed this world into reality. 

“Skill like this would be sought after in my world,” Regina continued. “You would live better than you do here.”

Emma let out a small laugh. “Yeah. Paintings aren’t in such high demand since they invented photography,” Emma explained, though she knew Regina had no idea what she was talking about.

For her part, Regina decided not to ask, and changed the direction of their conversation instead. “You know, it’s been some time since I had a conversation with another person. An actual conversation.”

“You tried to fireball me twenty four hours ago,” Emma reminded her. “Maybe don’t open with that next time and you’ll make more friends.”

To her surprise, Regina smirked. “Perhaps.”

“Mom?” Henry called as he entered the apartment, and Emma quickly hurried out of the bathroom, her hair wet from showering. “Uh, what’s Regina doing.”

Emma smirked and shook her head. “I finally found something she likes better than complaining and wrecking things,” she said, casting a sideways glance to where Regina sat on the couch, her attention still fully focused on the TV. “I needed to keep her occupied while I washed my hair.  _ Real Housewives of Orange County _ . There’s a marathon and she’s totally into it. Did you figure out how to send her back?”

“Well, I had an idea…” Henry started, shifting nervously in his spot. “I’m not sure it will work.”

“Anything, kid, I’m willing to try.”

“Well… I’m thinking, I can affect, you know, her story. I told her she can’t use magic, and then… she couldn’t. So I’m thinking… you paint something, make it look like, uh… a portal, or something. Something that can open up to her world. We’ll give her something and tell her it’s magic, and that she can use it to open the portal that you paint, and… go through it.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “You think this can really work?”

Henry shrugged. “It’s worth a try, right?”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“Well, it’s not that… it’s just… I don’t know. Do we have to send her back? I kind of like her.”

“Henry… she’s not a stray cat. You can’t just keep her. She doesn’t want to be here. You know that.”

Henry nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. It’s just… so cool, you know, that this happened. It’ll be sad to see her go.”

“It will be a relief,” Emma corrected. “Do you have homework? You can get started on that and I’ll start painting.”

“No homework,” Henry said. “I’ll just watch TV with Regina, if that’s okay?”

“Sure, kid.”

Emma watched as Henry headed over to the couch, and Regina jumped in surprise. Emma had to chuckle at how engrossed she’d become in that show, that she hadn’t even heard Henry come in or been aware that they were talking behind her. She could hear Regina excitedly filling Henry in on the last few hours of the show as she went to grab her paint supplies.

Emma wasn’t sure exactly how a portal was supposed to look, but she let her mind drift as she painted - as she usually did - and the inspiration came to her. She never knew exactly where she pulled these images and ideas from, but somewhere, deep in the recesses of her mind, they felt more like a memory than something produced solely from her imagination.

She dipped her brush into a deep purple hue and began painting, swirling ombres of purples and blues, with hints of green. The movements were rhythmic and mesmerizing, and soon she was lost in her own mind, recounting the things that had happened since yesterday.

How exactly had she gotten to a point where she was painting a magical portal to transport a make believe queen back to a fictitious world?

She wasn’t surprised that Henry had jumped into this with both feet. He’s always been such a believer, in everything. She supposed he got that from her. Emma herself had been an imaginative daydreamer as a child. It was her only escape from a life of impermanence; always moving from one home to the next, family after family.

And that’s what she’d dreamed about: family. A mother and father who would show up on the doorstep of her latest foster home and tell her it had all been a giant mix up, and they were here to take her home forever. She’d have a home filled with love and parents who’d want nothing more than to make up for lost time.

Back then, she thought that was all she’d ever need. Just love. And when she’d found herself pregnant with Henry, and Neal long gone, she thought love would be enough. Maybe they wouldn’t have the nicest home or the nicest things, and maybe she’d barely scrape by just to keep food in his belly, but he’d never want for love.

And she was sure he didn’t.

But now… knowing he’d created his own world to escape to, she wondered if she really was doing right by her son. Was all of this enough? 

When her painting was finished, Emma stepped back to look at it for a moment, pondering what it really was going to mean to send Regina back. Until now, it seemed like the right thing to do, but today had been a little different, and, like Henry, she was finding herself more than a little intrigued by the woman in the other room.

But that was crazy. Emma shook her head to snap herself back into reality. Regina wasn’t real and just because she was sitting in the other room excitedly watching TV with Henry didn’t mean they could just keep her. She wasn’t a stray dog who’d wandered in and she had a whole life to get back to. One that was much more thrilling than the one Emma and Henry had to offer her here.

On top of that, Emma guessed it was a little presumptuous to think Regina would even want to stay. She’d expressed no interest in hanging around - in fact, she’d been quite adamant that she wanted to leave. And it was time. So she called Henry into the kitchen to help her with the final part of the plan.

“So, it’s done then?” Henry asked, casting a sideways glance at Emma’s painting on his way by.

“Yeah, kid. And we just need a magic bean, and she can go home.”

Henry nodded, and looked down at the floor.

“Henry… you know this is the right thing to do, right?”

Henry shrugged. “I guess. I’m just gonna miss her. That’s all.”

“We still have all your stories, and that’s where she belongs. That’s her home.”

Henry breathed in deep and put on his bravest face. “Yeah. I know. So what are we going to use for a magic bean?”

“I know the perfect thing,” Emma said, reaching into the cupboard above the refrigerator; the one Henry couldn’t reach without standing on a chair, and the one in which she hid little treats for when they needed a pick me up. She pulled out a small glass jar filled with jelly beans.

“That’s where you hide them?” Henry asked, astonished.

“I don’t hide anything,” Emma said, with a small smirk. “Just happened to have some. And stay out of that cupboard.”

Henry grinned and shook his head, and Emma knew she was busted. But it was okay. It was only a matter of time before Henry would be tall enough to reach that cupboard anyway.

She held out the jar for him, and he reached in a pulled out a shiny purple bean.

“Regina!” Henry called, as he lead the way back into the family room, where Regina was standing before the painting of the portal, transfixed. “We know how to get your home. We’ve got a bean!”

Regina turned, and hesitantly took the bean from Henry’s hand, and held it between her thumb and index finger, examining it closely. “It’s purple. What kind of bean is this?”

Henry shrugged. “A magic one.”

Regina raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen a purple one.”

“Maybe they’re just a different colour here,” Emma suggested. 

Regina sighed and nodded. “I suppose it’s worth a try. How does it work?”

“I think you just kind of, um… focus on it. Like, focus your magic? And it will… activate. And then you can just… throw it at the portal?” Henry said, motioning at the painting, and Emma could tell he was making this all up on the spot.

“Alright,” Regina said, turning back to the painting and holding the bean up in front of her, apparently accepting those instructions as being completely valid. She stared at the bean for a few moments, and to Emma’s disbelief, it began to glow in her hand.

“Holy shit,” Emma whispered under her breath, and Henry nudged her.

For her part, Regina didn’t seem to notice the interruption, as she flung the bean directly at the center of the painting.

Nothing could have prepared Emma for what she was about to witness. The moment the bean made contact with the canvas, the painted portal lit up with a purple glow, and began churning like a cyclone. Regina took a step back as the portal expanded, and within mere seconds, it stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and deepened like a black hole extending into infinity.

The room filled up with wind, but Emma barely noticed the things that were falling over and breaking from the force, because her eyes were fixed on Regina, who had turned to give them a small, sad smile, before she turned to step into the portal to oblivion.

For a moment, Emma thought she should grab her and stop her, because it suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea what this portal might actually do, but before she could even begin to act on that impulse, she felt Henry grab her arm. She turned to see the panicked look on his face and noticed his feet were off the ground. He was being sucked into the portal.

“Henry!” Emma screamed, grabbing onto him with both arms and trying to pull him back, but it was no use. Blackness engulfed all three of them and Emma could do nothing more than to hold onto Henry as tight as she could, until they were free.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma blinked her eyes open, only to be assaulted by the bright sun above her. She groaned as she tried to move away from it, feeling like she’d just been tossed from a moving train. Her whole body ached, and while she wasn’t exactly sure where she was, ss she rolled onto her side, it became quickly apparent that she was someplace outdoors. 

The ground below her was cold, hard, and a little damp, and she pushed herself up quickly, looking around for Henry. She spotted him almost right away. He was already up, a look of marvel on his face as he took in his surroundings.

“Henry?” Emma asked, as she got to her feet, and his eyes met hers as his face lit up into a big grin.

“Mom! Look where we are!”

Emma scrunched her face up in confusion, looking around. They were in some sort of clearing, surrounded by trees, and it wasn’t any place she recognized. “The woods? Henry, I don’t remember how we got here.”

“No, no, not the woods. Mom! This is the Enchanted Forest!”

Emma shook her head as she wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she were wearing more than a tank top in the brisk air. At least Henry was dressed warmly enough for the weather. “Kid. The Enchanted Forest isn’t real. Regina must have-”

“Mom, don’t you remember? We opened a portal to send her back… we must have been pulled through. This is the Enchanted Forest… it’s exactly how I imagined it. Look!”

Emma watched as Henry grabbed a crumpled piece of paper from the ground and held it up for her. It appeared to be a wanted poster of some sort. The top section appeared to be torn, but there in black ink, plain as day, was an image with an uncanny resemblance to how Emma had painted Snow White dozens of times before. Under her picture was written, “crimes against the Queen, Murder.” Whatever was below it was torn off as well, but it was enough to shake Emma.

“Snow White,” she whispered, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. No one but herself and Henry, and now Regina, had ever seen her paintings of Snow White. How could someone have recreated her image so perfectly when Emma was sure she’d invented her in her own mind?

“Yeah,” Henry said, with an encouraging nod. “It’s one of the wanted posters the Queen had put up while Snow was on the run. Just like I wrote.”

“But Snow White’s not a murderer,” Emma insisted.

“No,” came a gruff voice from behind her, causing her to jump and spin around. “She’s the Queen. And who the hell are you, sister?”

The man was short, with a bald head and an angry expression. He had a thick beard and was wearing tattered clothes that reminded Emma of something out of medieval times.

“Uh… sorry. We’re just… lost. Who are you?”

The man sniffed disapprovingly, but answered anyway. “Name’s Grumpy.”

“Grumpy. Like… the dwarf? Seriously?”

“Hey, watch your tone, sister. I’ve got an in with the Queen. I could have you arrested.”

“Right,” Emma said, turning back to Henry. “We should go. Now.”

“No, wait,” Henry insisted, stepping up beside Emma and facing Grumpy. “You said Snow White is the Queen? Not Regina?”

“Yeah. You’re really not from around here, are ya?”

“No. We just… we’ve heard stories,” Henry replied.

“Yeah, well, the Evil Queen’s been missing for months. No one really knows what happened to her, but no one really cares either. Good riddance. Now Snow was finally able to take her rightful place as Queen. She never committed no murder, either.”

“No, of course not. We never believed she did,” Henry insisted, with a smile. 

Grumpy looked him up and down, and finally nodded. “Well, any supporter of Snow’s is a friend of the Kingdom. If you head east, you’ll find people who might be able to help you out. If you’ve got money, you can get some food, maybe a place to stay if you need it.”

“And if we don’t have money?” Emma asked.

Grumpy shrugged. “There’s good people there. You might find some charity.”

“Thank you!” Henry called, as Grumpy headed away, and then quickly added, “wait! Which way is east?”

Grumpy shook his head and pointed, before continuing on his way.

“Alright, I guess we head east,” Henry said, starting off in the direction that Grumpy had indicated. 

Emma reached out to grab his shoulder before he could take off into the woods. “Henry, no! We need to get home.”

“Well, I don’t see a portal, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be alone in the woods when the sun sets tonight. And look, there’s a path. That’s gotta lead to civilization.”

Emma had to admit the kid had a point, and they trudged off down the path before them. Emma only made it a few steps before becoming aware of something in her pocket, causing her to stop. “Henry, wait.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet satchel that bore an emblem she immediately recognized. “This is… the Queen’s emblem.”

“The Evil Queen,” Henry corrected, though Emma knew he didn’t really believe that Regina was evil. “What’s inside it?”

Emma opened it quickly, dropping the contents into her palm. “Looks like… gold.”

Henry grinned. “Regina must have wanted to make sure we’d be okay. Now we can get food and stuff.”

Emma sighed. “If she wanted to make sure we were okay, she could have considered not abandoning us, unconscious in the middle of a forest.”

Henry shrugged. “Maybe she realized it wasn’t safe for her to stick around. We better ditch the satchel. Don’t want anyone to think we’re associated with the Evil Queen.”

“I thought you liked her,” Emma said, as she dropped the gold coins into her pocket and tossed the satchel into the bushes off the road. 

“I do, but I also know that no one else does, and they might not be too welcoming if they think we’re on her side... and if Snow White is ruling the Kingdom now, they might even have a bounty out on Regina.”

“Would she do that?”

Henry shrugged again. “Dunno. I didn’t write it exactly this way. Regina never disappeared for months in my story.”

“Yeah, about that,” Emma said, as they started walking again. “She was only at our place a couple of days.”

“I think maybe time moves differently in different realms. It’s the only explanation.”

Emma didn’t think it sounded like much of an explanation at all, but she didn’t exactly have a better one, either.

She trudged quietly behind Henry, wrapping her arms around herself again, but not so much as a defense against the cold this time, but as an attempt to quell her nerves. She was well past the point of being able to write this all off as a dream, but still… how could this be real?

Henry, of course, was in his glory, grinning excitedly at every foreign plant or animal he saw. Emma wasn’t surprised. The kid had always loved and adventure and fantasy, and he was far too young to question how any of this could be happening. He was just overjoyed that it was.

As they walked, Emma’s mind began to piece together bits of memory. She remembered the giant portal opening and the wind storm that had erupted inside her apartment. She wondered how much damage would be waiting for her when she returned. And how long would it even take to get back? She couldn’t miss too much work or she’d find herself unemployed, along with having a destroyed apartment, and they were only about one missed paycheck away from homelessness as it was.

She quickened her pace.

“Whoa, Mom,” Henry called, speeding up to keep up with her. “Slow down.”

“I just wanted to… make sure we find this town or whatever before it’s dark,” Emma said, not wanting to worry Henry with her fears.

“I think we have time,” Henry said. “The sun’s still pretty high up there.”

“Well, it’s also cold,” Emma continued. “Don’t want you to catch pneumonia.”

“I’m not the one in a tank top,” Henry pointed.

“Then I don’t want to catch pneumonia.”

“Mom,” Henry said, suppressing a laugh. “Stop freaking out. Everything’s fine.”

“Fine?” Emma repeated, her voice an octave higher than she’d intended. “How is any of this fine? We’re lost in another realm!”

“Yeah, but… it’s one we know. It’s one I know, at least. And Regina’s here. We can find her again. Maybe it’s fate.”

“Fate?” Emma asked, pausing a little at the idea. “Our fate is to fall into fairy tale land?”

“No… well, maybe? I mean, first Regina lands in our world, and then when we try to send her back, we land in her world. Maybe it’s destiny?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have opened the portal,” Emma said. “Maybe we shouldn’t have played with magic, or forced that we don’t understand. Maybe we should have just let her stay.”

“Hey, I wanted to let her stay the whole time!”

Emma sighed. “I know you did, kid. How much further do you think this village is?”

Henry shrugged. “I made a map of the Enchanted Forest once, but it’s at home, under my bed.”

“Well, then,” Emma said, trying to sound braver than she felt. “Onward we go! It’s… an adventure.”

After what felt like hours, Emma and Henry finally reached what appeared to be a small village. There were stone buildings and a few people, and Emma breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“Thank God,” she said. “I was starting to think we’d never find people.”

“I had faith in Grumpy,” Henry said with a shrug. “He seems mean, but he’s got a good heart.”

“How do you…” Emma trailed off as she realized she already knew the answer. Henry knew this about Grumpy, because he wrote it. “Nevermind. Let’s go see if we can find a place to stay. And maybe a sweater.”

The first heavy wooden door Emma pushed open seemed to lead into a tavern. It was dark and musty, and several men sat around huge wooden tables, drinking out of large metal mugs that splashed beer onto the table whenever they slammed them down. It was loud with laughter and chatter, and Emma pulled Henry close as she made her way up to the front.

“Hey! No kids in here!” A man behind the bar yelled, and half the tavern turned to stare at Emma and Henry. 

“Sorry,” Emma said, pulling Henry even closer to her. “I didn’t know what this place was… we’re kind of lost and looking for an… inn? Or something?”

“Cross the road, two doors down,” a barmaid with blonde hair and a tight corset top said, giving a small wink. “They’ll take care of you.”

“Thanks,” Emma said meekly, turning and practically pushing Henry out of the tavern, hoping that the place across the road would be a more acceptable place to bring a ten year old.

“Granny’s Inn,” Henry stated, pointing to the hand-painted wooden side out front of what appeared to be a cosy cottage. There was a little stone path leading up to the red painted front door, with a garden of small blue and white flowers lining either side. There were windows on either side of the red door, with white lace curtains drawn back, revealing the warm glow of what Emma hoped was a fireplace inside. 

Henry hurried excitedly up to the door and knocked before Emma even reached the front stoop. Somewhere inside, they heard a voice yell, “come in!” and Henry swung the door open.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped inside and discovered the cottage was, in fact, warm. She edged as close to the fireplace as she could, rubbing her bare arms as she waited for someone to approach the front desk.

Moments later, a woman about her own age, entered the room, wearing a big smile on her face. She had long dark hair and wore a red velvety cloak over her dress. Emma was quickly beginning to realize that everyone seemed to dress warmly here and she wondered if it was always this cold outside.

“Oh my,” said the brunette, looking Emma up and down. “What are you wearing? You must be freezing! Here, take this.”

The brunette quickly handed Emma a long blue cloak from the coat rack by the door, which she took and wrapped around herself. 

“Are you cold?” the brunette asked, turning to Henry.

“No, I’m fine,” Henry said, his wool sweater more than enough for him.

“Great. I’m Red, by the way. You don’t look like you’re from around here. Looking for a place to stay?”

“Red… Riding Hood?” Emma asked. She’d painted her before, but only as a child, and the woman standing before her did look very much like she could be a grown up version of that little girl.

“We are looking for a place to stay,” Henry cut in, saving Red and Emma from what was sure to be an awkward line of questioning. We’re, uh, we’re travelling bards and we’ve gotten a little lost. We have money… we just need a place to sleep tonight.”

“Well you’ve come to the right place,” Red said happily. “We have vacancy and my Granny’s about to put dinner on. You’re welcome to join us for some food.”

“Oh, we don’t want to be any trouble,” Emma insisted.

“No trouble. She always makes too much and it’s just her and me. We’d love the company,” Red said, and turned back to Henry. “And maybe you could entertain us with some stories?”

“Oh, uh…” Henry stammered, and Emma quickly realized he didn’t have any stories that weren’t about the people here.

“We’re… bards in training,” Emma cut in. “We set off to travel in hopes of acquiring some stories. And then…”

“And then you got lost,” Red finished, still smiling. “We’ll maybe this is the beginning of a great story?”

“We hope so!” said Henry.

“This is nice,” Henry commented, looking around the room Red had shown them to.

“We’re staying here one night, Henry, and then finding a way home tomorrow. I just need to find some supplies and paint us a new portal, right? And we’ll just go back through. Easy peasy.”

Henry shrugged half-heartedly. “I’m not sure it will work.”

“What do you mean? It worked the first time… why wouldn’t it work now?”

“Well, we told Regina that jellybean was magic, right? But we knew it wasn’t. We just needed her to believe. How can we do that now? We can’t just… tell ourselves something is magic and make it happen.”

“There’s got to be a way back, Henry. Regina got to New York in the first place without a portal, and we got her back. Now we’re going to find a way back.”

“But wouldn’t it be kind of fun to spend a few days here first? I mean… if we can’t find a way back right away.”

“Henry… we can’t just abandon our lives and stay in some sort of make believe world.”

“Why not? What’s stopping us? What do we even have to go back to?”

Their conversation was cut short by a knock on the door, and Emma answered it to find Red standing there, looking just as cheery as she had when they’d first seen her.

“Dinner’s ready!” Red announced, and turned to head back down the hall. 

Emma supposed finding a way back could wait, since they’d walked a lot today and neither she nor Henry had eaten in hours. She beckoned for Henry to come along, and they followed Red down the hallway toward a cozy little dining room.

“Emma, Henry, this is Granny,” Red informed them, as Emma spotted the elderly lady setting a pan of something steaming hot on the centre of the dining table.

“Eugenia,” the woman said, holding out her hand to shake Emma’s as she approached her. Emma reciprocated the handshake and Eugenia looked her over. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“They’re travelling bards,” said Red. “Well, in training.”

Eugenia narrowed her eyes and Emma knew right away she wasn’t buying it.

“We’re-” Emma started, but Eugenia held up a hand to stop her.

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me. My granddaughter and I know all too well how cruel this world is, and whatever you’re running from, you’re safe here with us.”

“We’re not-” Emma started, only to be cut off by Henry this time.

“It’s more like we’re trying to find something.”

Eugenia raised an eyebrow. “Anything we can help you with?”

“We’re trying to find our way home,” said Emma. “And we’re a long, long way from there.”

Eugenia nodded as she motioned for everyone to sit down. Emma wasn’t sure exactly what every kind of meat and vegetable before her was - some looked familiar and some looked like nothing she’d ever seen before - but everything smelled amazing and she was famished. Neither Red nor Eugenia commented on how much Emma and Henry loaded their plates with. And Emma could see that Red hadn’t been exaggerating; there was almost too much food, even for the four of them.

“So how did you find our village?” Red asked.

“Oh,” Emma said, swallowing a mouth full of food quickly. “A dwarf.”

“Grumpy,” Henry clarified. “He found us in the woods, and pointed us in this direction.”

“Do I even want to know how you wound up lost in the woods? It’s not exactly safe out there, you know,” said Eugenia.

“Would you believe a magic portal?” Emma asked, scrunching up her nose almost apologetically at how ridiculous that still sounded.

Eugenia gave a small laugh. “Take a lot more than that to shock me, I’m afraid. Explains the foreign get up you got on though. Never seen clothes like those before.”

“Yeah. I suppose we’ll have to find someplace to get some new ones. We’re not exactly dressed for the Enchanted Forest,” Emma admitted.

“No, you’re not. But that’s alright. My granddaughter and I have plenty to spare. We’ll get you set up. Now, tell me more about this portal.”

Emma shrugged. “I wish I could explain it. We kind of… fell through it, and wound up here. We’re not sure how to get back. We’d need magic, I think.”

“Well, lucky for you, there’s plenty of that around here. Not entirely sure about portals, but…” Eugenia trailed off, glancing at Red.

“Lake Nostos?” Red guessed.

Eugenia nodded. “Could work.”

“What’s Lake Nostos?” Emma asked, excitedly. 

“It’s magical lake with healing properties,” Red started.

“It can return things that were once lost,” Henry added, and both Red and Eugenia turned to him in surprise.

“How did you know that?” asked Red.

Henry shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, though Emma could tell by the look on his face he’d already recognized his error. “I… uh… I’ve heard stories.”

“So the lake,” Emma said, in an attempt to get the conversation back on track. “It can get us home?”

“It’s worth a try,” Eugenia said. “You’ve lost your home, perhaps it can return you there.”

“Awesome, great, yes,” said Emma, nodding enthusiastically. “We’ll go there first thing tomorrow. It’s not far, is it?”

Red shrugged. “About a day, on horseback. But I’m guessing you don’t have horses?”

Emma shook her head. 

“Not a problem,” said Red, optimistically. “There’s a stable nearby that will let you rent some. I’ll take you there tomorrow morning.”

“Great,” Emma said. She had no idea how to ride a horse, but she guessed that was an issue they could face in the morning. Now that she’d eaten, the exhaustion of the day was starting to set in, and she could see the sun was starting to set outside. “Well, dinner was absolutely lovely. Really. I can’t thank you enough. But Henry and I really should be getting to bed.”

“Of course,” Red said, with a smile, shooing Emma’s hand away as she attempted to start clearing her own plate. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it. You two have had a long day. You need your rest.”

“The people here are nicer than anyone I’ve ever met in New York,” Henry commented as he climbed into one side of the large bed.

“I will agree with you there,” Emma said, sliding in beside him and pulling the warm patchwork quilt over both of them, and turning the knob on the oil lantern on the table beside the bed to extinguish the flame. The room was dark now, save for some dim light from the setting sun outside.

“And if we don’t get back tomorrow, I won’t be said,” Henry continued. “I mean, I won’t miss Kenny and his friends.”

“Have those boys been giving you a hard time again?”

“Yeah. But they don’t matter right now. We’re having an adventure.”

Emma smiled at Henry, albeit sadly, as he closed his eyes, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before he drifted off. She wasn’t surprised that he’d be happy about a break from the bullies at his school, and she felt almost bad that it would be so short-lived.

But real life was waiting and they couldn’t stay in a fantasy land forever.


	5. Chapter 5

In the morning, after a breakfast of warm oatmeal and fruit, Emma handed Granny a handful of gold to pay for their stay.

“Oh, dear, this is far too much,” Eugenia insisted, trying to hand half the pile back to Emma.

“No, no, keep it, please. You fed us and gave us clothes and a whole lot of hospitality… who knows what would have happened if Henry and I had had to spend the night out in the woods or something,” Emma said, shuddering at the thought. “Plus, we just need enough to rent some horses and then we’ll be heading back to our realm where we won’t need it anyway.”

The last part was a lie, but Emma forced herself to keep up her insistent smile as Eugenia took the money. Truthfully, a pocketful of gold would make a big difference in their lives at home, but she didn’t even know what would happen if she tried to take it with her. It was a make believe land, after all, so what if the gold just vanished once they got to New York?

More importantly, she got the impression that Granny’s Inn didn’t see a lot of traffic in this tiny little village, and in the off chance that this world continued to exist once she and Henry had left, she felt better knowing that Eugenia and Red would be a little better off for having met them.

She knew she and Henry were better off for having met Eugenia and Red, that was for sure.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the stables,” said Red, with a big smile on her face. And after getting tight hugs from Granny, they set off.

The village looked much more welcoming to Emma today than it had the day before. She wasn’t sure if it was the fact that the warmer clothes Red had given her were a better defense against the brisk air, or the fact that everyone they passed smiled warmly and greeted Red as they walked, but she found herself finding the walk oddly pleasant in a way she hadn’t expected. She could still feel the warmth of Granny’s hug lingering on her skin, and couldn’t fight the little smile forming on her lips.

But she couldn’t let herself dwell too much on any of this. It wasn’t real and real life was waiting for them in New York, and they needed to get back before Emma got fired from her job from missing too much work.

“Right up here!” Red announced, pointing out the barn in front of her, and Emma noted about a dozen horses wandering around in the paddock beside it.

“These things come with instruction manuals, right?” Emma asked, quickening up her pace to get beside Red.

Red chuckled and shook her head. “They come with what?”

Henry snickered. “We don’t know how to ride horses!”

“Oh!” said Red, her eyes widening with surprise. “Oh… sorry… I just assumed you could. I guess they don’t have horses in your land?”

“No… we have them. I’ve just… never seen one in person. And definitely never been on one,” Emma admitted. The horses were much bigger than she’d been expecting, and she hadn’t really thought about how she was going to steer one until now.

Red opened her mouth to respond, but the door swung open before she could, and two women came hurrying out.

“Red! I thought that was you!” a dark-haired woman said.

“Who are your friends?” a blonde woman asked, eyeing Henry and Emma with curiosity.

“Mulan! Aurora!” Red exclaimed, with a big grin, and Emma’s eyes widened. Sure enough, they looked just like the painted versions she’d done, years ago, that still hung side by side in the hallway. Henry had insisted they looked good together, and Emma had to agree.

“This is Emma, and Henry,” Red continued, motioning to them each in turn. They’re a long, long way from home, and I’m trying to help them get back.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mulan said, holding out a hand to shake Emma’s. Emma knew she was a warrior, but still her firm grip took her by surprise.

“Likewise,” Emma said, smiling.

“Where’s home?” Aurora asked.

“Uh… it’s a long story,” Emma said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She wasn’t sure how many people were likely to buy the we’re-here-from-another-realm story, but Henry cut her off before she could come up with something else to say.

“We’re looking for Lake Nostos,” he explained. “To see if it can return us to our own realm. But we needed horses to get there.”

“But they don’t know how to ride them,” Red interjected.

“That’s quite a journey. Are you taking them?” Aurora asked Red, her expression suddenly turning more serious.

Red shook her head. “I wish I could, but with Granny’s health… I just can’t leave that long.”

Aurora turned to Mulan with a hopeful look, and Mulan looked like she was about to shoot her down, but she sighed, and turned to Emma.

“We’ll go with you.”

“Really?” Emma asked, surprised. 

Aurora smiled. “Sure! Why not? Who knows what you could meet along the way. You’ll need a warrior to protect you.”

Emma didn’t miss the way that Aurora smiled at Mulan when she said that, and she couldn’t help the twinge of… well, she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Not Jealousy, per say, but it had been a long time since anyone looked at her like that.

She shook her head to snap herself out of that train of thought. It wasn’t the time.

“Well, thank you. And… do you know to ride horses?”

It wasn’t long before the stable owner had them equipped with four horses. Emma had insisted on paying the rent for all four, with what was left of her gold. Aurora had offered, but she and Mulan were already doing so much, she couldn’t ask for much more.

She stood nervously in front of a tall white horse with big brown patches as the stable hands got his saddle on. 

“This is Bug,” the young freckled faced boy who introduced himself as Hansel informed her.

“I’ve used to have a yellow Bug back home.”

Hansel scrunched his face up in confusion. “A yellow horse?”

“Nevermind,” Emma said with a small laugh, and she glanced over at Henry. His horse was a couple feet shorter than Emma’s, with shiny black hair, and she seemed to be enjoying the way Henry was stroking her cheek.

“She’s so soft, Mom! I wish I could keep her forever!”

Emma smiled, but it was with a hint of sadness. As much as she knew they needed to get home, she did feel bad that Henry’s adventure couldn’t last.

But it just couldn’t last.

“Alright, here we go,” said Red, walking up to Emma as Aurora headed over to Henry to help him with his horse. “One foot here, in the stirrup. No, no, other foot. Hands up on the saddle.”

Emma felt her trepidation rising as she gripped the saddle as hard as she could. Bug was huge and solid, and despite the fact that he seemed tranquil right now, Emma couldn’t help the mental images of him flinging her off a cliff that were flashing before her eyes.

“Alright,” Red continued, placing a hand on Emma’s back, “pull yourself up and fling that other leg over. Find the stirrup on the other side and you’ll be good to go.”

Emma glanced over at Henry, who was already up on his horse, being shown how to hold the reigns by Aurora. She took a deep breath and pushed herself up. It was easier than she expected, and she guessed she had years of chin ups on the door frame of the bed room to thank for that. Soon enough, she was seated atop the horse, one foot in each saddle. She didn’t love being so high up off the ground, but Bug remained docile and she guessed he wasn’t getting ready to buck her off his back just yet.

Emma listened intently as Red explained how to hold the reigns and how to get the horse to go where she wanted him to go. 

“Just, kinda stay behind Mulan and Aurora,” Red said, finally. “Bug should follow the horse in front of him and you shouldn’t have to worry too much.”

“Thanks,” Emma said, looking around and seeing that the rest of the entourage was ready to leave. Henry had a giant grin on his face. “For everything, Red. Thank you. And tell your Granny, please.”

Red smiled. “Will do. Safe travels.”

Emma breathed in deep and smiled as Mulan and Aurora headed out on their horses, and Henry’s and her horse immediately fell in line behind them.

“This isn’t so bad,” said Henry, as they set off down a path leading out of the village.

Emma nodded. “Not quite as terrifying as I expected,” she agreed, though she still had a death grip on the reigns in her hand.

“Henry’s a natural,” Aurora called over her shoulder.

Emma looked at him and smiled. “You do look good on a horse. Maybe one day I can find a stable for you to join, like a riding club, or something.”

Henry smiled, but it was a smile that Emma recognized all too well. It was the smile he always gave her when she was making plans for the future; plans they both knew would probably never come to fruition. 

But seeing Henry so happy here gave Emma a new determination. She was going to figure out a way to make life better for him - for both of them - one day.

They just needed to get home first. 

Once they had been following behind Aurora and Mulan on their horses for quite some time, Emma finally felt confident enough to stop holding on for dear life and turn her attention to Henry, trusting that Bug would keep following along and not suddenly go rogue and toss her off his back. Her fears were quickly forgotten when she saw the solemn look on Henry’s face.

“Kid… you okay?”

Henry shrugged, looking sadly down at his hands on the saddle and not answering.

“Henry, come on… talk to me.”

Henry looked over at Emma with an expression that reminded her off his face every time she’d had to say no to something he’d really wanted - summer camp, birthday parties, vacations - because they just didn’t have the money.

“I just…we’re on an adventure and it’s already almost over. I don’t want this to end so soon. Why do we have to go back right now?”

Emma sighed. “Kid, why do you want to stay here so bad? It’s cold and kind of scary.”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Because, Mom… we created this whole world. It’s only scary because it’s new. We belong here.”

“Henry…”

“No. Listen: you made these characters and I gave them all stories and neither of us ever expected it to be more than that but then… Mom, it’s like a miracle. All these people… all their stories… they’re real because of us. And… we haven’t gotten a chance to live out our story yet.”

“We’re not characters, Henry.”

“But… I wrote us into the story.”

“What? Wait… the portal?” Emma asked, her eyes widening.

“No, no, I didn’t write that part… but before Regina even showed up in our apartment, I wrote us into the story. I made you a brave white knight.”

“A knight? Really?” Emma had to chuckle, but it warmed her heart to know that she hadn’t lost hero status in Henry’s mind yet, even though he was growing up so quickly.

“Yeah. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. You save the Queen and unite the Kingdom. It’s your destiny.”

“Wait… you gave me parents?” Emma asked, looking at him in disbelief. “And wait, wouldn’t that make me a princess in this world?”

“Yeah, I did. And yeah, you are, but no one knows it yet. And you save the Queen and you fall in love and the Kingdom is finally united. It’s a happy ending.”

Emma sighed, thinking about what a great story that really would make - the Evil Queen falling in love with the daughter of her enemy. That was a fairy tale Emma would love to read. But-

“Henry, it’s not possible,” Emma said, shaking her head.

“How can you say that?” Henry sounded exasperated.

“Because… none of this is real.”

“Looks pretty real to me.”

Emma looked around, and noticed how Aurora and Mulan were lost in their own conversation ahead of them. It did look real, and they looked like real people with real lives that existed even without Henry and Emma’s influence, and yet… she was a rational person and she knew this just couldn’t be real.

“Henry…” Emma started, unsure if it was really a good idea to open this line of conversation, but knowing it was now or never. “You… you like our life in New York, right? I mean… I know it’s not perfect, but nothing is, right? And we have fun. We’ve got each other.”

“Sure, of course I do.” 

Emma closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. There wasn’t a lot in life she considered herself good at, but she’d always felt like she’d been born with a built-in lie detector, and she always knew when her son was lying.

“Henry.”

Henry sighed audibly. “Well… I mean, there are aspects I’d change if I could. And I don’t mean our apartment or anything like that… yeah, it would be nice to have a big house with expensive things, but that stuff doesn’t really matter. It’s not important.”

“What does matter to you Henry? What’s important?”

“Feeling safe, I guess?”

“You don’t feel safe?”

“Yeah, at home I do, but… Mom, I hate going to school. You know I always loved school, but lately… these kids…. They bully me all the time.”

“Kenny and his friends?”

Henry nodded. “It’s gotten worse. A lot worse. They wanna fight me. They wanna beat me up.”

Emma felt her heart sink. She’d had a suspicion that something was going on at Henry’s school, but she’d never gotten any answers. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Henry shrugged. “There’s not much you could do. And I know you’d want to, but you have so much going on, too. I know life can’t be perfect, but are you happy there?”

Emma bit her lip, not wanting to admit the only good thing about her life was Henry… the rest, she could live without.

“See. You can’t even lie and say you are,” Henry said, nodding as if Emma’s silence was all the answer he needed. “You don’t want to go back to your job - either of them. You hate it. You hate our apartment. You hate being single. You hate everything except painting and me.”

“Hate’s a strong word,” Emma said, but even she wasn’t convinced. “And no one likes working.”

“But don’t you get it?” Henry persisted. “You hate it because it’s not the life you were meant for. Mom, you’re meant to be a princess and live here, not there. Our live here… it wouldn’t be perfect either, but it would be good. Way better.”

Emma gave him a sad smile. “Why? Because we’d be royalty? We’d be rich?”

Henry shook his head. “No… because we’d have family. And friends. And adventure. We don’t have any of that. Who would even notice we were gone, except my teachers and your bosses? No one would even care.”

Emma gave a long sigh. She hated to admit it, but Henry was right. They wouldn’t be missed. She wondered if anyone had even bothered to check up on them when Henry didn’t show up for school and she didn’t show up for work. Would anyone even care?


	6. Chapter 6

“Here we are,” Mulan announced as a large body of water came into view ahead of them. “Lake Nostos.”

Bug came to a stop near the edge of the lake and leaned down to take a drink.

“That won’t hurt him, will it?” Emma asked as she shakily dismounted, still holding onto his staddle with one hand even when her feet touched solid ground.

Mulan shrugged. “Don’t see why it would,” she said as she dismounted her horse, Mushu, and stepped up to the edge of the lake herself, looking down into the water.

“So how does this work?” Emma asked, stepping beside her and looking down. The lake looked just as she’d expect any lake to look. The water was a little murky, but she could see rocks and small fish. Nothing looked particularly magical.

“I’m not sure. Maybe you have to get in?”

“Seriously?”

“Maybe just reach in,” Henry suggested, stepping up beside her as his horse joined Bug to take a drink. “Maybe you can pull out a magic bean, or something? And we can open a portal?”

Henry’s suggestion was half-hearted at best, but Emma nodded anyway. Reaching in seemed more desirable than submersing herself completely. She dropped down to her knees at the edge of the lake and pulled back her sleeve, reaching her hand into the cold water.

“Do you feel anything?” Aurora asked excitedly from behind her.

“Yeah… yeah I think so,” Emma said, as her fingers wrapped around something smooth and metal. She pulled on it, and whatever it was, it was heavy. “Oh, I definitely found something!”

Whatever it was, it was stuck, and Emma pulled hard until it came free. She pulled it up and gasped in surprise.

“A… sword?” she asked, examining the item in her hand. It was heavy and silver with a long blade that looked dangerously sharp.

“That’s a sword alright,” Mulan said, taking it from her hand and stepping back, making a few smooth swipes in the air. “And a nice one. You lost this?”

Emma shook her head. “I’ve never even seen a sword in real life. Maybe someone just… dropped it in there?”

“Maybe,” Henry agreed, though he sounded less than convinced, and Emma wondered if he knew something she didn’t. “Try again?”

Emma nodded and reached into the water again. Another object had taken residence exactly where the sword had just been. She grabbed a hold of it and pulled it up onto the shore.

“Armour,” Emma said, shaking her head. “This… doesn’t make sense. How is any of this supposed to get us home?”

“It’s not!” Henry exclaimed excitedly. “Don’t you see? We’re not supposed to go home! This is a sign!”

“A sign?” Emma repeated, not quite following Henry’s train of thought.

“Yes! Mom, what did I tell you on the way here? What did I tell you your destiny was?”

Emma’s eyes widened with realization. “To be the white knight and save the queen.” It came out as barely more than a whisper as it really started to sink in. It had been so hard to believe that any of this was real, and now suddenly it was so hard to believe that it wasn’t. After everything she’d seen, everything she’d experienced, everything Henry had said that had turned out to be true, how could she keep on denying it?

“You believe me now, don’t you?” Henry asked, encouragingly.

Emma paused for a moment, and then her eyes shot up to meet Henry’s. “Yeah… yes, Henry, I do.” 

She wasn’t sure until she said it out loud, but the moment the words left her mouth, she knew she meant them. No matter how crazy and impossible all of this was, she couldn’t deny that Henry was right. This was where they belonged. It felt more real than New York ever had.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Aurora asked, looking between Henry and Emma with confusion.

“We’re not going home,” Emma said, decisively, standing up.

“We are home,” Henry corrected. “She sees that now.”

“What’s all this white knight business?” Mulan asked, still gripping the sword that Emma had pulled from the lake.

“I… I guess I found my destiny in the lake,” Emma said, with a shrug. “I’m supposed to save the Queen and unite the Kingdom.”

“Save Snow White?” Aurora asked. “From what?”

Emma shook her head. “Not Snow White.”

Mulan closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly understanding. “You want to save the Evil Queen?”

“Hey, don’t call her that!” Henry shot in, defensively. 

“You know how to use this?” Mulan continued on, holding up the sword.

“Not a clue,” Emma admitted.

“You could teach her,” Henry suggested.

“Henry-” Emma started, but Mulan cut her off.

“If you insist on fighting… what are you fighting?”

“No idea,” Emma replied. “Henry?”

“No. She’ll chicken out,” Henry explained.

“I will teach you to fight,” said Mulan.

“Wait, really. Why?” Emma asked, incredulous. “I mean, I appreciate it. A lot. I really do. But you’ve already put yourself out so much for us.”

“It’s the right thing to do,” Mulan said, with a shrug. “And perhaps, one day, you’ll be in a position to return the favour.”

“This is insane, right?” Emma asked, looking down at the armour she now wore, as Mulan walked up, having gotten a fire started for Henry and Aurora, who were now huddled by it, out of earshot.

“Fighting an unknown enemy to save an evil former queen?” Mulan asked with a nonchalant shrug. “Maybe. But if there’s two things I’m exceptionally good at, it’s fighting, and winning ladies’ hearts.”

Emma let out a nervous laugh. “So I guess I have a good teacher, then?”

Mulan shrugged. “I can teach you how to fight, but I’m not sure that the evil queen has a heart.”

“She does,” Emma said, and she wasn’t sure why she felt the need to be so defensive. “I know she’s done a lot of terrible things in this world, but you haven’t seen how she is with Henry. She has a heart.”

“Wait… you’ve met her?”

Emma paused, realizing that no one here knew about Regina’s time in New York. “Briefly,” Emma said. 

“Well, if you’ve encountered her and lived to tell the tale, perhaps there’s hope for you yet.”

“You didn’t have hope before?”

“I thought she might incinerate you on the spot. It’s, you know, her thing.”

“Right,” Emma said, swallowing. It hadn’t occurred to her until just now that Regina would have full access to her magic the next time she saw her, and the memory of the fireball she’d conjured in her kitchen was suddenly fresh in her mind again. “But I’m supposed to save her, right? She’s not going to incinerate her savior?”

“I suppose,” Mulan replied, pondering the idea for a moment. “Why do you want to save her? Is it just because Henry says it’s your destiny?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Emma asked, not meaning to sound quite as defensive as she did.

Mulan gave a small shrug. “I guess it depends on what you’re going up against. It’s easy to feel brave when there is no imminent threat. But when you face whatever you’re about to face… well, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got a good reason to stay and fight.”

Emma frowned. She hadn’t really considered any of that. “I mean… I do barely know her. But… I also feel like I do?”

“How’s that?” Mulan asked, her interest clearly piqued.

“Okay, it might sound stupid, but… I make these paintings. Portraits. And I’ve… I’ve painted Regina dozens of times. Her exact likeness. I’ve always thought that I made her up, but now… I’m just not so sure. What if my inspiration didn’t just come from my own imagination?”

“You think you’re connected? Soul mates?”

“Whoa,” Emma said, with a quick, uneasy laugh. “Soul mates? That… that’s not real.”

“Sure it is. Emma… I don’t know much about the world you come from, but this realm… it’s filled with magic. Aurora and I, we’ve encountered things you couldn’t even imagine. Magic and curses and dragons, and yet… something always brought us back together. I believe that’s our destiny.”

Emma nodded, taking it in. She so badly wanted to tell Mulan about the portraits she’d painted of her and Aurora, hanging side by side in her apartment, but somehow it seemed like a violation, now that she was talking to her in person. She was more than just a fairy tale character. She was a real person, here, in the flesh.

And if she was, that meant Regina was, too.

“There’s a sadness in her eyes,” Emma said, thinking out loud.

“In… the Evil Queen’s eyes?”

Emma nodded. “Don’t tell anyone, alright? But there is… beneath all that simmering rage, there’s a sadness. A loneliness. I almost… I almost didn’t want to create the portal. I almost wanted to let her stay with me. Is that crazy?”

Mulan shrugged. “No crazier than any of this.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Smiling, Mulan handed Emma the sword. Holding it up, it was heavier than she expected, but as Mulan showed her how to grip it properly and how to stand, she realized it also felt a lot more natural than she would have expected. Familiar. Like she’d done this a million times before, in another life.

Mulan took a few steps back as Emma started making practice swipes in the air, revelling in the swishing sound the sharp blade made as it moved. The entire sword felt like an extension of her arms and the feeling of power she got from holding it was exhilarating.

Maybe she could be the brave white knight after all.

“Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” Mulan asked, her eyes widening as she watched Emma.

Emma shook her head. “No. Never.”

“You could have fooled me!”

Emma couldn’t help the laugh of excitement that fell from her lips, as she turned to show Henry. To her surprise, she saw Henry and Aurora crouched down by the edge of the lake, and she sheathed her sword as she walked over to them.

“What are you two doing?”

“Henry thought he saw something in the lake,” Aurora explained, as Henry reached forward, extending his arm as far as he could.

Emma grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him from falling all the way in, as he excitedly yelled, “got it!”

Emma watched as he dragged what looked like a leather bookbag out of the water and set it down on the ground.

“A backpack?” Emma asked, letting go of Henry’s shirt as he hurried to open the bag.

“It’s a book,” Henry said, as he pulled a large leather bound book from the bag. It was embossed with the words,  _ Once Upon a Time _ , and Henry pulled it open, flipping through the pages so quickly that Emma couldn’t make out a single word or illustration she saw.

“It’s my stories!” Henry exclaimed, his eyes widening with realization. “Look!”

Emma crouched down beside Henry, and sure enough, once he started flipping through the pages more slowly, she began recognizing faces from her paintings. 

“They’re all here,” Henry said, his eyes scanning the pages quickly. “How… how is this possible?”

Emma sighed. “Apparently we’re in a realm of magic.”

Henry stopped flipping through the pages, and turned to look at Emma with wide eyes. “You believe?”

“Don’t really have much of a choice at this point, do I?”

Henry smiled and stood up, grabbing the leather bookbag as he held the book close to him. “How’s the sword lesson going?”

“She’s a natural,” Mulan said, before Emma had a chance. “Want to tell us what she’s going to face, now?”

Henry shook his head. “Nope. She’ll chicken out. But don’t worry, Mom. You’re gonna win. It’s in the book, so there’s no way you can’t.”

“I’m glad you’re confident, kid. It’s getting pretty dark. Should we head back?”

Mulan shook her head. “It’s too late. We’ll stay here for the night and go back in the morning.”

“Stay here. Sleep outside,” said Emma, hoping that Mulan was just kidding.

But Mulan was already on her way over to the fire, and Aurora was talking about the fruit she’d seen growing on a tree nearby. Soon enough, they had set off to find food, and Emma had no choice but to settle down next to the fire with Henry.

“Do we survive the night, kid?” Emma asked, only half joking, as she elbowed Henry teasingly in the ribs. “Is this a chapter in your book?”

“No,” Henry admitted. “But you’re alive to save the queen so I guess we’ll survive the night.”

“It is kind of nice out here,” Emma said, leaning back and looking up at the sky full of stars. “I could do without the bugs. And, you know, a bathroom would be nice, but… we never get to see the stars at home, do we?”

Henry shook his head, laying down on his back to look up, as Emma followed suit. “I’ve never seen a sky full of stars.”

Emma opened her mouth to protest, but she supposed that was true. Henry had never been outside of the city, and while she had lived in some rural places, he never had.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Henry asked, absently.

“Who?”

“Regina. I mean, she’s not the queen anymore and we haven’t heard anything about her since we got here.”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Emma said, though there was a knot in her stomach as she said it. “She’s got her magic to protect her.”

“I didn’t mean that way.”

“What did you mean then?” Emma asked, turning her head on its side to look at Henry, as he continued to gaze upward.

“I mean… is she lonely? Is she sad?”

“I don’t know kid. I guess we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?”

“Do you think she misses us?”

Emma smiled, thinking back to the sight of Regina sitting on the couch with Henry, fully engrossed in the _ Real Housewives _ episode they were watching. “I’m sure she misses you.”

“I think she liked you too, in her own way,” Henry said, finally turning to face Emma.

“Maybe,” Emma admitted. “Maybe she’s not really good at that type of thing. You know, getting along with people, being nice… but maybe it’s just a defense mechanism. Maybe she’s just protecting herself.”

Emma knew Henry didn’t fully understand what she was talking about. He was still so open, so trusting. He hadn’t experienced enough of the rough side of life to lose that quality, and she was glad for that. He wasn’t jaded, like she was. But Regina… from what little Emma knew of her story, she knew that Regina wasn’t open, wasn’t trusting. Maybe she had been once, but that had been ripped away from her.

She thought maybe the idea that Regina liked her was a bit of a stretch, but perhaps she maybe saw something familiar in the hardness in Emma’s eyes. Something that reminded her that she wasn’t alone. That someone else understood.

Suddenly, it occurred to Emma that that was what she’d seen in Regina’s eyes. A safe place. A person who could understand. Her heart fluttered as she realized that this would be what she would think about when she fought whatever it was she was supposed to fight. 


	7. Chapter 7

The armour she was wearing was tight and uncomfortable as Emma made her way through the forest, following Henry who was studying the map he’d discovered in the back of his storybook intently, leading the way. Mulan and Aurora had accompanied them to the edge of the woods, and gone back with the horses once it was too dangerous to continue with them. 

They needed to be stealth.

Mulan had not been thrilled at the idea of leaving them, but Henry insisted they had to go alone, and assured her that when Emma won, word would make it back to the village that they were safe.

Emma gripped the handle of her sword while it rested in its sheath, ready to draw it at the first sign of danger, while also hoping there would be none, because she really wasn’t sure she was ready for whatever she was about to face.

“Here,” Henry said with a decisive nod, stopping abruptly in his tracks, so quickly that Emma nearly walked right into him. “We’re hidden, but we have a good view of the road from here. We’ll be able to see Regina’s carriage.”

Emma swallowed, following Henry’s gaze through a small clearing in the brush, to the dirt road just a few feet away.

“Are you sure it’s safe for you to be out here with me, kid?” Emma asked for what felt like the hundredth time, her voice betraying all her nerves.

“Of course. Mom, I wrote this story, remember? I stay safely hidden while you save the Queen and become a hero. It’s your destiny.”

“Yeah.” Emma sighed, wondering how she could have let him come along this far, while knowing there was nothing she could have done to stop it. She needed a guide and he was the only one who knew where she needed to be. Plus, she supposed, she did have a sword and she could defend him against any attack that might come, anyway. “So can you tell me what I’m about to face, now that we’re all the way out here?”

Henry looked at Emma with an expression of sheer confidence. “Fine. It’s-”

He stopped dead, and both their heads snapped back to the road as they heard the distinct sound of hooves approaching. Instinctively, they both crouched down a little lower as they caught the first sight of Regina’s knights.

Before Emma could even react to the sight of Regina’s carriage coming into view, she heard a deafening screech from somewhere above, followed by a loud whoosh as flames from an unknown source scorched the top of the carriage from above.

“Now!” Henry cried. “You have to slay the dragon!”

Emma’s eyes widened as she froze in place. “The what?” 

“Go!” Henry yelled, as the dragon came into sight for the first time, swooping down low near Regina’s carriage, knocking out more of her knights before lifting upward again. It was enormous with shiny black scales and massive red wings, but Emma’s full attention was on the huge head, its mouth open and long sharp teeth bared, as thick smoke drifted up from its nostrils.

“We have to get out of here,” Emma cried, finally finding her voice as the dragon swooped again.

“No! You have to save the Queen! Mom, you can do it! It’s your destiny!”

Emma didn’t have a chance to argue as Henry pushed her hard, causing her to tumble through the brush, and end up on the dirt road. No longer hidden, she quickly scrambled to her feet, drawing her sword, though she let it fall limply beside her as she paused and took in the full scale of the dragon before her.

How was she supposed to slay a dragon that seemed to be annihilating Regina’s knights a dozen at a time?

The dragon made a few circles in the air as Regina finally emerged from her carriage, her face set in a look of determination and both her palms out, poised for action. “Hey!” she shouted, as the dragon moved to swoop down on the last of her knights that still remained standing.

The dragon stopped in mid-air, turning its attention to Regina as she produced two fireballs in her palms, wasting no time hurling them as the dragon sprung into action, swooping down right at her.

Her fireballs were no match against the dragon’s fiery breath. In a split second, the rest of her knights were incinerated on the spot, along with her carriage. The horses took off running in all directions the moment they were freed from the carriage, and to Emma’s horror, one of them ran straight into Regina, knocking her to the ground.

Emma gasped as Regina’s head hit a rock, and lulled to the side, her eyes drooping closed.

“Shit,” Emma managed to squeak out, suddenly aware that if she didn’t do something now, the dragon was about to finish her off.

“Hey!” she screamed, tightening her grip on her sword as the dragon’s attention fell to her. Every instinct she had told her to grab Henry and run for it, but her feet were frozen to the ground. Adrenaline surged up in her as the dragon began its descent, and she hoped to hell Henry knew what he was talking about.

It happened so fast. The dragon swooped down and Emma drew up her sword over her head with both hands, and lunged forward, hurling it into the dragon’s exposed chest.

The dragon lurched forward, its massive feet hitting the ground hard, causing a tremor, before it keeled to the side and fell over in a slump. Emma stood still for a moment, not even daring to breathe, as she stared at the creature now laying just a few feet away from her, fully aware of how close she’d just come to being crushed under at least a thousand pounds of reptile.

“You did it!”

Emma let go of the breath she was holding in as she heard Henry’s voice, her mouth still gaping open in shock as he scurried out from the brush and ran over to her, nearly knocking her over as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

“Yeah,” Emma said, her voice barely above a whisper as she gripped Henry tightly against her, and turned her attention to the Queen who still laid on the road. “I don’t know if I saved her.”

Henry squirmed himself loose from Emma’s grip and turned his head to follow her gaze. To both of their relief, Regina let out a small groan and began to stir.

“She’s okay!” Henry declared. “Told you! You’re a hero now.”

“She’s alive,” Emma corrected, taking a step toward Regina as Regina’s eyes fluttered open, knowing there was a big difference between alive and okay.

Regina blinked a couple times as Emma approached and crouched down on the ground beside her. “Hey,” she said softly, as Regina didn’t seem to be aware of her presence just yet. “You okay?”

Regina flinched as Emma reached forward to move her hair away from her face, revealing a cut on her temple that didn’t look too serious. 

“Come on, I’ll help you up,” Emma said, but Regina reached up and grabbed her wrist before Emma had a chance to touch her again, and finally turned her attention on to Emma’s face, as though she was just seeing her for the first time.

Regina’s dark eyes widened with realization as her mouth dropped open in surprise. “It’s… you.”

Emma smiled down at Regina for a moment. “Yeah… it’s me. Come on. Let me help you up.”

Regina let go of Emma’s wrist, but as Emma moved to reach for her hand, she winced at a sudden pain in her abdomen.

“What’s wrong?” Regina asked.

Emma shook her head. “I… I dunno. It didn’t hurt a second ago.”

Sitting back on her heels, Emma touched the spot that hurt and gasped when she felt wetness there. Drawing her hand back, she saw her fingers were red with blood.

“What’s happening?” Henry asked, sounding panicked, and Emma hadn’t realized he’d come up behind her.

“Nothing kid, I’m…” Emma’s voice trailed off as she winced in pain again. It only took a moment to realize that the dragon’s claw must have clipped her and she hadn’t noticed when her adrenaline had been so high. 

“Regina, can you help her?” Henry cried, as Emma fell back, barely catching herself with one hand on the ground, as blood began to spill onto the dirt below her.

Regina nodded and pulled herself up as quickly as she could. She breathed deep for a moment, getting her bearings, and with the flick of one wrist she removed Emma’s armour with her magic, revealing the blood stained tunic below.

“Lay back,” Regina instructed, and she lifted Emma’s shirt as she did, revealing a long, deep gash.

“Mom!” Henry cried, and Regina held up a hand to stop him from getting any closer.

“She’s alright,” Regina assured him, as she held her hand over the wound and let her healing magic flow out. 

Emma scrunched up her nose at the odd sensation of her skin stitching itself back up, but she breathed a sigh of relief when it was done, touching the area and only feeling smooth skin where the wound had been seconds before.

“Mom! You’re alright! See, it’s just like-”

“No,” Emma said suddenly, sitting up quickly and facing Henry. “Oh my God, I can’t believe… I can’t believe I let this get so far. Henry… this... I could have just been killed right now. I could have left you an orphan in a strange world with no way to get home.”

“But… but…” Henry sputtered.

“No! Kid… life isn’t a fairytale. I got just as caught up as you did, but… this isn’t okay. I could have died. YOU could have died.”

“But Regina would have died,” Henry protested, blinking back tears. “And you’re okay! You did it.”

“But what if I hadn’t? Henry, I froze out there. I’m not… I’m not a dragon slayer. What if Regina couldn’t save me? What she never woke up and I bled out? Then what?”

Henry’s lip started to quiver as he reached into his backpack and pulled out his book.

Emma shook her head in confusion. “What are doing?”

Henry flipped the book open and revealed a page that showed a clear illustration of Regina laying in the ground, her knights incinerated, while Emma held her sword up to an attacking black dragon with red wings.

“I didn’t write for you to get hurt, but I knew you’d survive,” he said, turning the page over to reveal an illustration of Emma, the valiant knight, helping the Queen to her feet. “I just wanted to give you a happy ending.”

Emma closed her eyes for a moment, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. She let out a long sigh as she opened them again, and held out her arms for Henry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. None of this was your fault.”

Henry dropped his book and fell gratefully into Emma’s arms, who held him tightly against her.

“I love you, kid, and I just don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

“I think we need to get out of here,” said Regina, and Emma followed her gaze to the mountains in the distance, where two more dragons were in air, circling. “It’s only a matter of time before they’ll discover this one, and us.”

“Right.” Emma nodded, getting up to her feet again. “Henry, do you still have your map?”

Henry didn’t have a chance to respond as Regina waved her arms and the three of them were engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke. Moments later, they materialized in a giant room with marble floors and dark stone walls. It didn’t take long for Emma to register that the doorways were being guarded by more of Regina’s knights.

“Wait, where-”

She didn’t get the entire sentence out before a guard shouted, “seize her!”


	8. Chapter 8

Emma’s eyes widened in panic as dozens of guards swarmed her, but they came to an immediate halt as Regina raised both her hands.

“Leave her. She’s a guest,” Regina said, with the smallest hint of a smile, and the guards backed off immediately. In spite of everything, Emma had to marvel at the amount of power Regina had here. Suddenly, it was painfully clear how lost Regina really must have been in New York; what a slap in the face it must have been to be around people who didn’t fear her or cater to her, or even recognize her for the Queen she was.

But, she seemed to have readjusted well, as she beckoned for Emma and Henry to follow her through a large stone doorway ahead of them, walking with such poise and dignity, it was almost hard for Emma to believe she’d nearly been killed mere minutes ago.

“So this is your place, huh?” Emma asked, taking in the ornate mirrors and menacing suits of armour as she and Henry followed Regina down a long corridor.

“Mm-hmm,” Regina replied, off-handedly, as her high heeled boots clicked on the stone floor below them. Emma thought perhaps she was trying to sound nonchalant, but she could tell Regina was a little out of sorts having them in her palace. She wondered if she was worried that Emma would be interested in some payback for all the destruction that Regina had caused in her apartment.

But Regina lead them into what Emma guessed was her version of a sitting room. There was a decorative carpet on the floor that complemented the extravagant tapestries that hung on the walls, and two large couches with lush purple velvet cushions that looked like no one had ever sat upon them before. This room had large windows that let in a lot of light, and it was a little less terrifying than the hallway they’d just left had been.

“Please, sit,” Regina said, motioning to the couches. “We need to discuss what we’re going to do about all of this.”

“You knew we were here,” Emma said, as she perched near the edge of a cushion, suddenly very aware of how dirty her clothes were at the moment. For his part, Henry didn’t seem too concerned as she flopped down beside her. 

“I knew you followed me through the portal, yes,” Regina admitted, as she took a seat on the couch across from Emma. “You found the gold I left you?”

“Yeah, thanks for that, it helped. But you know, you didn’t have to leave us unconscious on the ground in a strange land.”

“Just what was I supposed to do with you? I didn’t ask you to accompany me here.”

“Hey, we didn’t ask to come along either.”

Regina gave a stiff nod. “In any event, we landed in the woods, which normally would have been thick with my knights, but they were deserted, and I quickly realized something was wrong. You could have been in danger if I’d brought you with me.”

“Yeah, everyone thought you were gone for good,” Henry pointed out.

“So I’ve gathered.”

“We figured out that time must move differently, in different realms. A lot of time passed here while you were gone,” Henry continued.

Regina nodded. “A lot of things have changed. No doubt you know that Snow White and her prince have a bounty out for me?”

Emma’s eyes widened. “No… was that… did they send that dragon?”

Regina shrugged. “It’s possible, but unlikely. Dragons are unpredictable creatures, and despite what the Kingdom may think of me, when I reigned, the dragons knew enough to stay away. Now, apparently, not so much.”

“So, now what? You take back the Kingdom?” Emma asked, uneasily.

“I don’t see that there’s much of a point, is there? How could I do that without killing their Queen, Snow White,” Regina said her name as though it left a bad taste in her mouth, and Emma thought back to the paintings in her apartment, with the eyes scratched out.

“No, you don’t have to take back the Kingdom!” Henry announced, excitedly. “This is why we’re here. It’s my mom’s destiny to unite the Kingdom. They’ll have to call off the bounty.”

Regina raised an eyebrow and gave Henry a small smile, though Emma could tell she wasn’t buying any of it. “In any event, we won’t be doing any of that today, since it’s getting late, and you two will need to eat and bathe and rest.”

“Oh.. yeah…” Emma said, realizing Regina was right. “We stayed in a little inn our first night here, but… well, we kind of ran out of money. We didn’t exactly plan on staying this long.”

“Well, you can stay with me,” Regina said, and Emma could tell she was trying not to look too hopeful. Emma hdd only hoped Regina would offer her some more gold and send her on her way, but the idea of staying in her palace seemed suddenly more appealing.

Emma gave her a warm smile. “That would be great,” she said, trying not to sound too excited, as she watched an odd expression form on Regina’s face, and she was suddenly aware that this woman was not used to people wanting to be around her. “I mean, Granny’s Inn was nice, but we are already here, so…”

“Right,” said Regina, and she offered a tentative smile in return. “Well, I don’t have… what was it called? A sofa bed?”

Emma breathed a laugh as she felt the tension in the room lift a little, but she couldn’t help but notice the mischievous expression on Henry’s face. “What is it, kid?”

“It’s just…” Henry trailed off as he slipped his bag from his shoulder again, and pulled out his storybook, flipping to a page with an illustration of the three of them in a room that looked just like the one they were currently in. “I wrote this. I even wrote that line about the sofa bed.”

Emma glanced at Regina, who had a look of confusion on her face. “He wrote about us,” Emma said, with a small shrug.

“Right! Your stories… you told me about this,” said Regina, as she nodded. “What else did you write?”

“Well… basically what I said before… you and my Mom, you get together and unite the Kingdom and we all live happily ever after.”

Emma smiled and shook her head, looking over at Regina. “Apparently, if it’s in the book, we have to do it.”

“I see,” Regina said, and Emma could hear the tension in her voice again. “Well, perhaps tomorrow? It’s getting late, I should show you to the guest chambers and let you get yourselves cleaned up for dinner. We don’t have grilled cheese. I hope that’s alright.”

“Oh, wait… Mulan and Aurora. We’ve gotta let them know we’re okay,” Emma said, suddenly.

“I’ll send word,” Regina said, and continued when she noted the confused looks on Emma and Henry’s faces, “I do still have people who are loyal to me, you know. I’ll get the message to them.”

Emma stood in awe of the room Regina had lead her to. It was apparently guest chambers, and yet Emma was sure her entire apartment could fit inside, twice over. There was a giant bed with a canopy and lush furs, a fireplace and a large stone balcony that overlooked the forest. 

There was an attached en suite, and though there was no running water, Regina had taken it upon herself to use her magic to fill the tub with warm water. 

The room Henry would sleep in was attached by large wooden adjoining door, and it was just a large with its own bathroom as well.

“I could get used to this,” Henry said, with a laugh of wonderment and disbelief.

“Well, don’t, because we’re just guests, kid,” Emma said, though deep down, she felt the exact same way. “Now go hop in the tub and get clean. We don’t want to keep Regina waiting for dinner.”

Emma headed into her own en suite as Henry hurried off to his. It felt good to slip out of her clothes and into the the warm water. She hadn’t realized just how achy she was from sleeping on the ground and sword fighting until she’d let her body become fully immersed.

She ran her fingers idly over the area of skin where her wound had once been, marvelling at the fact that Regina had just saved her life, barely even an hour ago. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the edge of the tub, trying not to think too much about what a whirlwind the past few days had been. None of it made any sense and any logical part of her brain she had left was screaming at her that everything she’d experienced was impossible, but she was quickly learning to turn that part of her mind off.

She couldn’t deny what she’d seen, what she’d experienced, so who did she think she was, still trying to believe it was impossible?

If she were being honest with herself, she didn’t even want to believe it was impossible any more. She’d only been here a couple short days, and yet New York seemed like a distant memory, like it was a lifetime ago. Truthfully, that life didn’t seem real anymore, and though she’d already abandoned any hope of ever getting back there, she realized that she didn’t even want to anymore.

But Henry’s talk of she and Regina ending up together was crazy, wasn’t it?

She couldn’t deny he’d been right about everything else thus far, but foreseeing her future romance?

She didn’t have time to think much about that before Henry was calling her, asking if she was ready to go down to dinner. She told him to give her a minute, and pulled herself out of the tub.

Momentarily, she wondered what she was supposed to wear, since the only clothing she had was covered in dirt and mud, but she cocked her head to one side in surprise, as she noted a fresh new outfit was hanging on the wall, beside the large mirror. There were a pair of brown suede pants, a white long sleeve tunic and a deep red leather vest, that appeared to be her size. On the floor were a pair of calf height black leather boots.

She guessed Regina must have placed them there with her magic, and hastily got herself dressed. When she left the en suite, she discovered Henry dressed similarly, in brown pants and a white tunic, but he didn’t wear a vest, and he gave her a lopsided grin.

“Isn’t this cool?” he asked, motioning to their outfits.

“It is,” Emma had to agree. “Come on. You remember how Regina said to get to the dining room?”

Henry nodded eagerly and lead the way out of the guest chambers.

“Oh… my god…” Emma said, stopping as soon as she entered the vast dining room and staring in awe at the table before her. Regina sat at the head of the table, her hair done up and wearing a deep cut purple velvet dress that was tight around her bodice and left very little to the imagination. The table itself was filled with platter upon platter of food; enough to feed the three of them for at least a week, Emma was sure. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble for us.”

Regina smirked and gave a small shrug. “I didn’t. My cooks did. Please, come sit.” She motioned to the empty chairs on either side of her and Emma and Henry each took one. “I see you found the clothes I left you.”

“Yeah, thanks for that,” Emma said, feeling herself blush, though she wasn’t exactly sure why.

“I didn’t know what you and Henry would like, so there’s a bit of everything.”

Before Emma could stop him, Henry was already spooning heaping piles of food on his plate. “Henry,” she hissed, “don’t be rude.”

Regina smiled. “It’s fine. He’s probably starving.”

Henry nodded, though he didn’t look up as he began to eat, which earned a small laugh from Regina. “Oh, to be young…” she said, almost wistfully.

“Yeah,” Emma agreed, as one of Regina’s servants filled her goblet with red wine. “Though I am feeling thoroughly embarrassed about what I offered you to eat in New York.”

“It wasn’t terrible,” Regina said. “And my dinners here aren’t always quite this extravagant.”

“I could get used to this, though,” Emma said offhandedly, taking her cue from Regina to start putting food on her plate. She stopped when she realized what she said. “Not that I mean, that, you know, I expect to stay here more than tonight, or anything. I just mean-”

Regina waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. What exactly is your plan, though? How do you plan to get home?”

“Well… that’s kind of complicated. We tried Lake Nostos, but apparently the lake had other ideas. I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get back to New York. And I’m not sure we’re even going to try.”

Regina raised an eyebrow. “You’re planning on staying here?”

Emma shrugged. “It’s in Henry’s book. And, really, I don’t know how we’d even manage it.”

“You’re out of magic beans?”

Emma flushed at the question. “Oh yeah… about that. I should maybe tell you, Henry and I kind of made that all up.”

“But it worked.”

“Yeah, because you believed it. And you have magic. It won’t work on us.”

“I see,” Regina said, running her fingers over her goblet of wine, pensively. “Well, you can stay here as long as you need to.”

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Even after I did everything I could to try to get you out of my apartment.” She felt Henry kick her under the table and wondered if perhaps she shouldn’t have said that.

“Well, in all fairness, I wanted to leave. But if you do not, I have the space and… well, without my vendetta against Snow to keep me occupied, I don’t see that I have much else to do these days. Company would be nice.”

“Cool,” Emma said, with a relieved grin. “I mean great. I mean, thank you!”

Regina smirked. “Cool indeed.”


	9. Chapter 9

In the morning, Emma woke to the sound of shuffling around in her chambers, and blinked her eyes open against the early morning light. It took a moment to remember where she was, but when she rolled over under the ornate furs in the middle of the biggest, and most comfortable bed she’d ever slept in, it started coming back.

“Henry, what are you doing?” Emma muttered, assuming that it was him puttering around in her room.

“Oh, no dear,” came the sound of an unfamiliar woman’s voice, and Emma shot up in bed to find one of Regina’s servants putting down a silver tray of food on the table beside her. “Your Henry’s already up and meeting with a tutor. Her Majesty felt it was best if you rested longer, after your ordeal yesterday.”

“A tutor?” Emma repeated.

“Oh, yes. Her Majesty insists that if the boy is to stay here, he will receive lessons while he’s in the palace. We have more than enough people on staff who are fully capable of the task.”

“Oh, cool,” Emma said, nodding. “I bet he’s excited. What’s your name, by the way?”

“Mildred.”

“Mildred. Nice to meet you. Thanks for breakfast, that’s…” Emma’s voice trailed off and she noted the array of food laid out on the platter. “That’s a lot. Wow. Thanks.”

Mildred smiled warmly. “Perhaps it’s a bit overboard, but Her Majesty does not often take guests.”

“I figured as much.”

“She would like you to go down to the stables once you’ve eaten and dressed. She likes to ride in the morning.”

“Oh,” Emma said, momentarily panicking at the idea that Regina might want her to get on a horse and give her ample opportunity to embarrass herself. Following behind Mulan on Bug was one thing, but Emma was far from confident in her skills. 

But Mildred said nothing more on the subject, and merely excused herself from the room so Emma could eat. 

When she was done, she found that Regina had left her more clothes in the en suite, similar to the ones she’d worn yesterday, but in blue instead of red this time. She was grateful that Regina was giving her these clothes rather than dresses like the ones Red and Aurora wore, and she wondered if it was intentional. She wondered if Regina had noted her fashion sense while in New York and wanted to ensure she was comfortable. 

She wondered if she was reading too much into it.

Either way, she found Mildred in the corridor outside her room when she was ready, and Mildred lead her out to the grounds, and down to the stables. 

“Her Majesty’s still riding,” Mildred commented, nodding in the direction of where Regina sat atop her horse, in the distance. “You may wait for her here. She shouldn’t be much longer.”

Emma climbed up on the bottom rung of the fence and crossed her arms over the top rung, leaning forward as she watched Regina ride, grateful that she was only meant to be an observer, not a participant. There was some so magnificent about watching Regina ride. She wore black pants and a burgundy riding jacket, looking as regal as ever, and yet her hair was looser, and she looked freer. 

She watched Regina made a few more laps around on her horse, taking a jump every now and again, and she wondered if she’d spotted her observer on the fence and was maybe showing off, just a little.

Soon enough, however, she was heading back to the stable, and Emma waited until she emerged again, and started making her way toward the fence.

“Good morning,” Regina said, stepping up beside Emma and placing a gloved hand on the fence post beside her. “How was your breakfast?”

“Excellent,” Emma replied, hopping down off the fence. “Better than Froot Loops, if you’d believe it.”

Regina scrunched up her nose, apparently at the memory of the bowl of cereal she’d turned down at Emma’s. 

“Sorry to drag you all the way out here, but there’s something I’ve been wondering about, dear. Something that I’d like to discuss more privately… the walls in the palace have ears, you know,” said Regina, removing her hand from the fence post and suddenly worrying it with her other hand, as though whatever she was about to ask was giving her great difficulty.

“What’s up?” Emma asked, trying to keep her voice light, as to not stress Regina out more.

“I want to know… how exactly Henry expects you and I to… how did he put it? Unite the Kingdom?”

Emma shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, though she anxiety was starting to rise inside her. She hadn’t really thought much about that part. “I guess… I’d have to marry you, or something, right? Isn’t that how all this stuff works?”

“This stuff?” Regina repeated, raising an eyebrow. “It would only work if you, too, were royal.”

“Well, I am.”

“You are? How is that, now?”

Emma drew in a deep breath, realizing there was a big part of the story that Regina didn’t know yet. “Okay, don’t kill me, but… I, uh… I’m the child of Snow White and Prince Charming,” Emma said, scrunching up her face almost apologetically. If anything were likely to get her fireballed, it was probably that statement right there.

“You’re… what?”

“Hey, I didn’t know until like two days ago either, so you can’t be mad. It’s just… how Henry wrote the story, I guess. I’m an orphan, you know, back in New York. My parents left me on the side of the highway, and some kid found me. I was tossed around between families until I finally just took off and had Henry. It’s not a big deal, to me, but I guess it’s always bothered Henry that we don’t have any family. I guess he wanted to change that.”

Regina nodded slowly, absorbing the new information. “And he chose to make Snow White his family?”

Emma shrugged. “It makes a good story, doesn’t it?”

“It doesn’t explain how you’re an adult. They aren’t old enough to be your parents.”

“Yeah… Henry hasn’t really explained that part yet.”

“And you’re practically a stranger,” Regina continued. “And if you think I’m just going to marry you without even knowing you…”

“Hey, give me some credit here. Maybe I’ll sweep you off your feet,” Emma said, with a lopsided grin.

To her relief, Regina smiled. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Challenge accepted.”

Emma spent the rest of her morning getting a tour of the grounds and the main rooms of the palace from Regina, who did not seem to be in any rush to continue their conversation from earlier.

“I feel kind of bad I never gave you a tour of my place now,” said Emma. “But, compared to this, it’s basically like a closet anyway.”

“A closet?”

“Yeah, like, where you keep your clothes… a wardrobe, maybe?”

“Ah,” Regina said, catching on to what Emma meant. “I believe I saw your closet the night I slept there. I’m not sure it contained many of your clothes, as those seemed to be all over the floor.”

“Yeah,” Emma said, slowly. “Oh shit, I wonder what’s gonna happen to all my stuff now? Once I get too far behind on rent, my landlord’s gonna have to evict me, and they’re gonna have to get all my stuff out. That’s awkward.”

“Well, I suppose you’ll never know.”

“True,” Emma agreed. “Probably for the best, since I have a drawer of things I much rather no one see. I’d be mortified.”

Regina raised a questioning eyebrow, and Emma wasn’t sure how she’d even begin to explain that one.

“It’s… uh… I’ve just been single for a long time and a woman has… you know what? Too much information. Way too much information.”

Regina nodded, though Emma could tell she wanted to ask questions that Emma had no idea how she’d even begin to answer.

“So… can I ask you something?” Emma said tentatively, as they wondered back into the sitting room with the purple couches she’d been in the day before.

“Alright,” Regina agreed, sitting down and motioning for Emma to do the same.

“Well… like, I can tell you’re not exactly on board with this whole get married and unite the Kingdom thing, but… you don’t seem freaked out about it. I mean, like… it doesn’t seem to shock you.”

“Being betrothed to a stranger isn’t exactly unheard of in this world, Emma. And it’s not the first time it’s happened to me.”

“Right,” Emma said, her heart sinking as she remembered the story Henry had told her. “The King.”

“Mm-hmm,” Regina said, closing her eyes for just a moment, to compose herself. “So forgive me if I’m not exactly elated at the prospect of being married again to someone I didn’t choose.”

“Hey, no, I’m not… I just,” Emma sighed, trying to collect her thoughts. “It’s freaking me out a lot, actually. Henry’s deadset that this is going to happen, and it’s in his book and everything, but… we have choices, right?”

Regina shrugged. “Fate does not like to be trifled with.”

“So you’re saying we have to do this, then?”

“I’m saying… it may be inevitable. However, there’s some sort of magic involved here, Emma. There must be. You’re not from this world, and… well, even if you are, if you are truly the child of Snow White and Prince Charming, there’s magic involved. And magic always comes with a price. Someone has done something, likely before you were even born, to set this in motion. It may be inevitable, but I think we do need to figure out what exactly it is.”

Emma swallowed hard. “And what if I really am the child of Snow White and Prince Charming? I mean… I know Snow White is your enemy, but I’ve never even met her. What’s that going to mean-”

“I can’t hold your parentage against you,” Regina said, cutting her off. “You couldn’t choose your mother any more than I could choose mine. But, it will raise certain issues. That’s also undeniable.”

“Like the fact that there’s a bounty on your head.”

“I’m not concerned about that. If they could capture me, they already would have. I’m more concerned with how they will try to poison you and Henry against me. I may not have known you long, but it’s been some time since someone actually wanted to be around me. And you saved my life. I don’t take that lightly.”

“I won’t let them poison me against you,” Emma insisted. “And Henry? He already adores you. He always has, even back when we thought you were just a story. He’s always believed in you.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” Regina said, relaxing a little. 

“So what’s the plan for the rest of the day, Your Highness?”

“I believe I’ve already told you, it’s your Majesty,” Regina corrected, but without any malice in her voice this time.

“Is there a difference?”

Regina’s eyes widened in indignation. “Yes! I’m the Queen and-”

“Okay, okay. Jesus, relax a little.” Emma couldn’t help but smile as she held her hands up in mock defence.

Regina shook her head, but she couldn’t hide the small smile forming on her lips. “I cannot believe I allow you to speak to me like this.”

“I think you kind of like it.”

“On you… idiocy is almost endearing.”

Emma laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“I believe that’s how I intended it.” Regina sighed. “And, I suppose, given all that we’ve gone through in the last few days, I wouldn’t be completely opposed to you addressing me by my given name. Henry already does.”

Emma grinned. “Okay. So then, what’s the plan for the rest of the day, Regina?”

“Well, I have some matters I need to attend to with the head of my guard, it may take some time and I’m sure you’d find it incredibly boring. I don’t have one of those picture boxes…”

“TV?” Emma suggested, knowing full well there wasn’t even electricity in this realm, so she hadn’t been expecting one.

“Right, yes. Nothing like that. But you’re free to roam around the palace and the grounds to entertain yourself. I’ve shown you the library, and of course you’re free to read anything in there you’d like. Just… stay out of any rooms that are locked. I wouldn’t want you stumbling across any potions and turning yourself into a cockroach, or something.”

Emma scrunched up her nose. “You have stuff like that?”

“Of course, dear. I’m the Evil Queen, afterall.”

“No, you’re not,” Emma said, and she didn’t miss the way Regina blushed, ever so slightly, and looked away. “But yeah, I’ll check out your library. It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to just sit down and read a book. It’ll be nice.”

“Excellent.” 

“What are you doing?” 

Emma startled at the sound of Regina’s voice, and leaned over to look at her past the canvas in front of her.

“Oh,” Emma said, with a shy smile. “I found a whole bunch of paint and stretched canvas in a room near your library. It looked like no one had touched it in years, and I just… couldn’t resist.”

Regina smiled warmly, and Emma breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she wasn’t angry. “Likely left over from when the King used to commission paintings of himself and his daughter. I had no idea these things were still here. I’m sure you’re putting them to much better use.” 

“They’re not quite like I’m used to,” Emma admitted, motioning at the odd containers of paint on the floor by her feet, “but I can deal with it.”

“Can I see what you’re painting?” Regina asked, taking a small step into the room. “It’s not Snow White, is it?”

“No,” Emma replied with a small laugh. “And yeah… it’s not done. But you can see it.”

Emma stood up and stepped back from her canvas as Regina came to stand beside her.

“Oh… it’s me.”

Emma nodded. She’d painted Regina in a way she’d never done before. She was up on her horse, her hair loose and flowing, wearing a white cotton dress. She was riding bareback with bare feet and looking more innocent than Emma had ever seen her in real life. She’d painted her the way she imagined Regina would be, if she hadn’t suffered so much darkness in her life.

“This… is this how you see me?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just… inspired. I think… I think there are different parts of you, and I think this is one of them.”

Regina gave her a small, sad smile, and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked, suddenly worried that she’d upset her.

Regina nodded. “I’m fine. I just… I just never imagined someone would ever see me like this. No one has ever seen any good in me - not since Daniel. I didn’t expect it.” 

“I think this is more you than any stories I’ve heard or any bad thing you’ve done. No one’s perfect, Regina, but I think you have a good heart. I think you have a beautiful soul.”

“Thank you for saying that,” Regina said, sniffing as she stiffened a little, and Emma could tell this was unfamiliar territory for her. “I’m not sure many would agree with you.”

“I’ve never been one to care what other people think,” Emma admitted. “And I’ve dealt with my share of shitty people in my life. And… you’re not one of them. I can tell the difference between someone who just likes to hurt and someone who has been hurt themselves. You and I… we’re not that different.”

“Well, I’m sure that’s easier to believe when you have no idea what kind of person I’ve truly been,” Regina insisted, walking over to sit on the small sofa in the nearly empty sitting room Emma had found to set up her canvas in. There were several rooms that seemed to be completely unused in the palace, and this one contained nothing but a sofa and an end table, but had huge windows and great light.

“Can I ask you something about that?” Emma asked, tentatively stepping over to join Regina on the sofa.

“I suppose.”

“Not so much about what you’ve done, but… what’s changed? You’re not at all like what you’d expect for someone who’s supposedly done such terrible things. You’re not even angry the way you were in New York. You seem… sad.”

Regina gave a small shrug, and remained silent just long enough to make Emma believe that she wasn’t going to answer at all, but then she began to speak. “I was angry then. I was close to finding a way to get to Snow White. Closer than I’d been in a long time, and I was standing before my magic mirror, when… I don’t even know how it happened, but the glass melted before my eyes and I was sucked into a portal. I wound up in your home, and of course, I immediately assumed Snow White had gotten her own hands on some sort of magic - she’s done it before - and she’d banished me to another realm.” 

“Oh. Yeah, I guess that would piss me off too,” Emma agreed.

“Yes. It quickly became evident, however, that you and Henry did not work for Snow White, and you had no more idea how I ended up there, than I did. I also quickly realized that you didn’t want to trap me there anymore than I wanted to stay, so it was… easier, I suppose, to let my guard down, just a little.”

“Well, Henry wanted you to stay.”

Regina smiled. “When we opened the portal, and I discovered that not only had it brought you along, but also that things were very different than they had been when I left, I poofed myself back to my palace to get a damage report. My mirror informed me that I had been missing for months. My knights were all still here, awaiting my return, because I have their hearts and they have no choice.”

Emma wanted to ask what that even meant, but he decided not to stop Regina in the middle of this. She wasn’t even sure she really wanted to know.

“Some of my staff stayed, and remained loyal, but many did not. I learned that Snow White had taken the Kingdom, and it was plainly clear that I was finished. I can’t take it back now. She may not have her own magic, but she has far too many people on her side. Even if I were to manage to get to her, I’d never be able to get the Kingdom back. I… I tried to make everyone believe that she murdered her own father, but…”

“But that was you.”

“Yes. I’d never be able to paint her as a traitor again. And I learned that she’d put a bounty out on me. I don’t think I’m in any real danger, but… I’ve had a few days to really think about what’s left for me in this life, and… well, it’s not much.”

Regina let out a long sigh, and continued. “I banished my mother to Wonderland years ago, and she stole my father away. My father was the only person I had left, and without my rage and my revenge, I have nothing. Then, when the dragon attacked, and I was knocked to the ground, I had… something of a vision. My life replayed in my mind as I lay there, and all I saw was sadness, fear, and anger. Barely any love. Barely any happiness. And then, I opened my eyes, and there you were.”

Emma opened her mouth to say something, but she wasn’t even sure what to say at this point.

“If I’m being honest,” Regina continued, “I missed you and Henry very much, from the moment I left you in that clearing in the woods. I regretted not bringing you with me, but I really didn’t think it was safe to do so. And then… you were back, and I was still a little out of sorts from hitting my head, perhaps, but something told me not to leave you again.”

Emma smiled, and took a chance to reach out and grab Regina’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. To her relief, Regina didn’t pull it away. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Me too.”


	10. Chapter 10

The following morning, Emma and Henry sat with Regina out one of the many balconies, enjoying the fresh morning air after breakfast.

“You guys really are gonna have to get married,” Henry said matter of factly, without looking up from the storybook open in his lap. He’d been reading it all morning.

Emma exchanged a nervous glance with Regina, before turning back to Henry. “Right. We know. To unite the Kingdom. But-”

“No, Mom, not just to unite the Kingdom. If you don’t marry Regina, we can’t stay.”

“What are you talking about, kid?”

“It’s in the book,” Henry said, holding it up, though Emma couldn’t even read what he was showing her from her vantage point. “The magic that brought us here is going to wear off if you don’t marry the Queen within one week.”

“One week?” Emma repeated, casting a panicked glance at Regina this time. “We barely know each other!”

Regina gave a non-committal shrug. “That’s not exactly unheard of in this realm.”

“You were be… be…”

“Betrothed?” Regina guessed. “It means we were promised to each other, in marriage.”

Henry nodded. “Yeah, betrothed. You were betrothed by magic and but there’s a deadline. It says time was frozen here for twenty eight years, and it didn’t start moving again until your twenty-eighth birthday. Then it started moving again and if you don’t marry Regina, we’ll go back to New York and time will just keep moving on here. It’s our only chance to stay.”

“Oh my god,” Emma muttered to herself before turning to Regina. “It was my birthday. The day you showed up in New York. In all the craziness, I completely forgot. I turned twenty eight.”

“You forgot your own birthday?” Regina asked.

“Hey, life gets busy and birthdays get less important after you turn twenty-one,” Emma said, defensively, “and also, you magically showed up in my house and tried to fireball me in my own kitchen.”

“But we’ve moved past that,” said Henry.

“Oh, what, are you a couples’ therapist now?” Emma asked, teasingly. “And don’t you have lessons to get to?”

“Oh, right,” Henry said, closing his book and hopping to his feet. “I’m not used to not having a watch!”

Emma smiled as she watched Henry leave, then turned back to Regina. “Do you think that’s true? That we won’t be able to stay?”

“It’s possible. There’s definitely magic involved, and magic always comes with a price.”

Emma swallowed and nodded. She wanted nothing more than to stay here, but marriage? 

“Let’s not worry about it right this moment, hmm?” Regina suggested, and she seemed to be in great spirits despite this bombshell. “I want to go riding this morning, and you’re welcome to join me.”

“I think I’ll just watch.”

“Very well. Later today I have some more business to attend to, and again, you’re welcome to roam the palace freely. Maybe paint some more… perhaps take a nap?”

“A nap?” Emma asked, confused.

“Yes,” Regina said, standing up, “I think we’ll have a late dinner tonight. I alway enjoy a nap before a late dinner. Henry should, as well, when he’s done his studies for the day.”

“Okay…” Emma said, tentatively. She wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea of an afternoon nap - in fact, she was kind of enticed by the idea - but she could tell Regina was up to something. She didn’t know what it could be, but if it took her mind off of this impending magical marriage, she would be grateful for whatever distraction she could get.

_ “I’m a princess, in my real life,” Emma says, matter-of-factly, to the freckle-faced boy named Charlie, who’s seated at the kitchen table across from her. She’s six, and she knows the truth, no matter how he rolls his eyes. _

_ “This is your real life, dummy. You’re not a princess. You’re an orphan,” Charlie replies, with a scoff. He is eight and thinks he knows everything and Emma doesn’t like him very much. _

_ “I am so a princess! And I’m going to grow up and marry the Queen.” Emma holds her head high, as regally as she knows how, and hopes it’s convincing. _

_ Charlie snorts. “Don’t you mean the King? You’re a girl.” _

_ “So? Girls can marry queens.”  _

_ “No they can’t. See, you are a dummy. You don’t know anything.” _

_ “I know how to be a knight and how to fight a dragon with a sword and you don’t know anything!” _

_ “How are you a princess and a knight? And how come you don’t live in a castle?” _

_ Emma paused, contemplating the questions the best she could with her limited knowledge of the world. “I just… I got lost. But I’m gonna find my way home and when I do, my life’s gonna be a fairy tale. You’ll see.” _

Emma’s eyes shot open, and she gasped at the memory that had returned to her in her dream. It had been years since she’d even thought about Charlie or that foster home or even her childhood fantasies of a distant fairy tale land she’d fully believed she’d come from as a child.

In a flash, she was out of bed and pushing through the door into the room Henry was sleeping in. His breathing was slow and rhythmic and for a split second it occurred to her that maybe this could wait, since they’d only just laid down for their afternoon naps, but before she could stop herself, she was shaking his shoulders to wake him.

Henry groaned and blinked his eyes open, squinting against the sun coming in from the window. “Mom? What’s wrong?”

“It’s all real, Henry. We didn’t make it up. You didn’t write this story.”

Henry shook his head, confused, as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. “What are you talking about?”

“The storybook, Henry! My paintings, your stories… all of it. It’s real. I knew it when I was a kid. I just forgot.”

“Mom, you’re not making any sense.”

Emma took a breath and nodded, realizing she was being a little frantic. “I had a dream, about when I was a kid, and it triggered a bunch of memories I’d forgotten about. When I was little, I knew about the Enchanted Forest. I don’t know how I knew, but I knew I was going to grow up and marry a fairy tale Queen. Henry… everyone just thought I had an overactive imagination, just like everyone thinks you do, but… maybe we just always knew the truth?”

To Emma’s relief, Henry smiled. 

“Mom… it took you this long to figure it out?”

Emma’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “You… knew? I thought you thought… Regina was like… a thoughtform? Or something?”

“I did! At first… but Mom… this whole world… we couldn’t have willed it into existence. It had to be real the whole time. And… we’re going to lose it all if…”

“If I don’t marry Regina.”

“By tomorrow,” Henry added.

“Tomorrow?”

“One week since you’re twenty-eighth birthday. You’ve gotta marry her tomorrow, or we’ll be sent back to New York.”

Emma shook her head vehemently. “We’re not going back. We’re never going back.”

Though Henry laid back down to continue is nap, Emma found she couldn’t seem to settle her mind down, no matter how she tried. Before she knew it, Mildred was entering the room to wake her, and let her know it was time to get ready for dinner.

After a quick bath, she got herself dressed in an outfit she selected from the wardrobe that had appeared in her room at some point during the day. It hadn’t been there previously, but now it stood, filled with clothing and footwear in her size. Henry joined her, bathed and dressed, once she was ready, and they made their way down to the dining room.

Though they had eaten here twice before, Emma wasn’t prepared for the sight that met her when she entered the room this time. The table was more ornate than she’d ever seen it, filled with food on fancier platters than before - which, Emma hadn’t even thought was possible - crystal plates and glasses, and a white lace tablecloth. There were tall candles lit, but perhaps the most impressive thing was the six tier cake that stood in the middle of the table. It had red frosting with a white damask design, and a single unlit candle on the top.

“What’s all this?” Emma asked, as Regina approached them wearing a long purple dress with straps instead of sleeves, that looked more like party attire than Queen attire.

“Your birthday,” Regina said, with a broad smile. “You forgot it in the frenzy of my arrival, so it’s only fair that I make it up to you.”

“Oh… wow… you didn’t have to,” Emma stammered, feeling herself blush. No one had ever gone to this much trouble for her birthday. Before Henry, no one had even cared, and she’d gotten used to that.

“Of course I did,” Regina said, shaking her head. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t like to do anything small.”

“This is awesome,” Henry piped up, and Emma let herself breathe again. He was right: this was awesome, and even though the gesture made her feel things she hadn’t expected, she decided to just let herself relax and enjoy it.

“I’m sure it won’t surprise you to know that it’s been quite some time since there’s been a birthday celebrated in this palace,” Regina said, as they all sat down. “I’m not sure this is how you celebrate birthdays in your world…”

Emma shrugged. “Never had a birthday party before,” she admitted.

“Really?”

“Side effect of being moved from home to home as a kid… the families either didn’t know me well enough, or else my birthday got completely forgotten in the chaos of moving. But it’s fine. I never knew what I was missing, and by the time I had Henry, I didn’t care anymore. When he got old enough, he always made me a card.”

Henry’s eyes widened at the comment. “I did make you a card! It’s on my dresser back in New York. I forgot to give it to you!”

Emma smiled. “It’s fine. It’s the thought that counts.”

After dinner, Regina used her magic to light the candle on the top of the cake, and Henry urged Emma to get up and make a wish.

“I’ve never done this before,” Emma admitted. She’s always gotten a small cake and candle for Henry’s birthdays, because she didn’t want him to miss out on what she’d missed in her childhood, but she’d never had one of her own. As she stood and took a deep breath, preparing to blow out the candle, she realized that this was all she’d ever wanted. She didn’t care about cakes or parties or any of the riches that Regina had, but having someone care enough to do something like this for her? That was everything.

For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged.

And so she blew out the candle, making the only wish she possibly could: that this would never end.

After dinner, once the sun was getting lower in the sky, Regina sent Henry to help the stable hand bring in the horses for the night, a task he was eager to partake in, and she and Emma sat out on the balcony again, watching him in the distance.

“I have a gift for you, if will accept it,” Regina said, after a long while of sitting in silence.

“Oh,” Emma said, surprised. “But you’ve already given me so much.”

“One more thing,” Regina said, producing a small wrapped gift in her hand and holding it out to Emma. “Please. It’s important.”

“Okay,” Emma said, taking the gift and studying it carefully, unsure what could be so important. She pulled the paper off gingerly, as it looked expensive, though she doubted Regina was the type to save and reuse it. Tearing it just felt wrong, somehow.

Under the paper was a small wooden box, and Emma popped it open, and gasped at what she saw inside. 

“A ring?” she asked, staring at the glittering object inside the box. It was gold with a large ruby stone, encrusted with diamonds all around it, and it sparkled like nothing Emma had ever seen before. She knew it must be expensive.

“It belonged to my grandmother,” Regina said. “She died before I was born, and my father gave this to me when I was sixteen.”

“But… it must be so special to you. Why do you want to give it to me?”

Regina raised an eyebrow, and looked at Emma as if there was something so obvious going on here, that she just wasn’t getting. “Because… if we are to be married, you’ll need a ring. If you accept, that is.”

“You’re…. Proposing?” 

“I don’t want you to go back, and while another arranged marriage isn’t exactly in the realm of things I saw for my future, if that’s what it takes to keep you here, then that’s what we will do. If you accept, of course.”

“Yeah… yes! Yes, I accept. I just… wow.”

Emma wished she could have been a little more eloquent, but at least Regina smiled, which put her a little more at ease.

“But we have to do it tomorrow,” Emma said. “It’s the deadline.”

“Tomorrow it is, then.”

“Okay,” Emma said, nodding, though she suddenly felt incredibly nervous. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’ll get married. After knowing each other for one whole week. We’ll just get married. That’s-that’s-that’s fine. It’s totally normal.”

Regina took her hand and squeezed it. 

“It will be fine,” she insisted. “Not ideal perhaps, but at least we’ll have the rest of our lives to get to know each other, which we won’t, if you get sent back to your world.”

Emma nodded, squeezing Regina’s hand back. “You’re right. This is fine… so… should we like, kiss or something now?”

Regina smiled, and Emma didn’t miss the hint of flush on her cheeks. “If you’d like.”

“Yeah. I would.”

To her surprise, it was Regina who moved in first, still holding Emma’s hand in one hand, and lifting her other to lace it through Emma’s hair as she closed the distance between them. When their lips met, it was like a shock of electricity shot through Emma’s entire body, like something dormant had suddenly been awakened inside of her. Her heart pounded hard, and for a moment, she couldn’t even react.

But after that moment, she closed her eyes and relaxed into the kiss. It was chaste, but she didn’t mind, because Regina’s lips were soft and warm and her scent was enticing, and after tomorrow, Emma knew she’d have an entire lifetime of kissing Regina ahead of her.


	11. Chapter 11

In the morning, Emma rolled over in a bed that felt nothing like the one she’d fallen asleep in the night before. She wasn’t curled up in furs, and momentarily she panicked, thinking they were too late, and she was back in New York. 

But as she looked around the room she was in, she discovered that wasn’t true.

Wherever she was, it wasn’t Regina’s palace, but it also wasn’t New York. She was in a big room with white walls covered in lush tapestries, so she knew she was still in the Enchanted Forest, but the floor was marble, not stone like Regina’s palace. 

She looked around, panic setting, and jumped out of bed quickly, running straight to the door. She pushed it open, surprised to find it unlocked.

“Hello?” Emma called into the empty corridor outside the room, against her better judgment, since she didn’t have a clue where she was, and she could have been abducted for all that she knew.

There was no answer, so she stepped out into the hall, with no regard to the fact that she was still in her night clothes from the evening before.

She padded, barefoot, down the long corridor, the marble cold beneath her feet, and stopped when she reached a massive painting on the wall. It was Snow White and Prince Charming, seemingly on their wedding day. She’d never met them, but she knew their faces from her own paintings. She felt anxiety rising as she realized she must be in their palace, but she had no idea how she’d gotten here.

Worse, she didn’t know if Henry was here.

At least, if this was Snow White’s palace, she was likely not in mortal danger, so she continued down the corridor, calling out for anyone to come and find her and tell her what the hell was going on.

“Oh!” she heard a voice from behind her, and spun around to come face to face with Snow White, dressed in a long beige dress and smiling from ear to ear. “You’re awake!”

“Uhhh… yeah. Uh… what the hell is going on?”

Snow seemed taken aback by Emma’s language, but her smile only faltered for a moment. “Emma!” she cried. “You’re home! You’re finally home!”

Snow stepped up, as though she were about to try to hug Emma, but Emma took a step back, raising her hands defensively. “Uh, no, uh… I have no idea how I got here. I don’t know what’s happening.”

Snow smiled apologetically. “Right. I should probably explain,” she said, and Emma watched as Prince Charming emerged from a doorway and stepped up beside her. “We should probably explain. Emma… this might sound crazy, but we’re your parents.”

“Yeah, I know,” Emma said. “But that doesn’t explain how I got here. And Henry? Where’s Henry?”

“Who’s Henry?” Snow asked.

“You know?” Charming asked immediately after. “How do you know?”

“It’s a long story, and I’d love to explain, but I’m currently in pajamas, I have no idea how I got here, and I have no idea where my son is. Is he here?”

Snow shook her head. “No, only you.”

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, so maybe he’s still at Regina’s, then?”

Snow stiffened at the name. “Regina?”

“Yeah, we’ve been staying with her for the last few days. That’s where I went to sleep last night.”

“A few days?” Snow repeated, shaking her head. “No, that can’t be right. You were supposed to come here.”

“What are you talking about?” Emma asked, exasperated. 

“Look,” Charming said, trying to appear calm, “why don’t you get dressed? There’s clothes in your room, and we can all meet back right here and we can explain everything.”

Emma nodded, and made her way slowly back to the room she’d just been in, more than a little apprehensive about the fact that Charming had just called it ‘her’ room. When she got there, she found the wardrobe and pulled it open, revealing an array of dresses. Emma let out an audible sigh. She wasn’t too keen on putting any of these on, but she needed to figure out what was happening, and she didn’t feel like doing so in her pajamas.

Once she was dressed in the simplest dress she could find, a blue one without too many beads or lace, and had a pair of shoes on, the ones with the smallest heel she could find, and made her way back to where Snow and Charming were waiting. Any other time, she might have been elated to meet her long lost parents, but right now, time was off the essence, and she needed to get answers, and get back to Regina, before they ran out of time and got transported back to New York.

“Okay,” Emma said, feeling slightly more calm as she followed Snow and Charming to a sitting area and sat down on the couch opposite them. “First things first: how did I end up here?”

“You just… appeared,” Snow said. “We’ve had that room waiting for you since you were a baby, and last night, there was a flash of light, and then, you were just there, sleeping in your bed.”

“Well, that’s not my bed,” Emma corrected. “And I need to get back. How do I get back?”

“To the other realm?” Snow asked, looking concerned.

“No! To Regina. We have to-”

Snow held up a hand to stop her. “No, you don’t have to go back. You’re safe here now. She doesn’t have power over you.”

“No, I do have to. My son… and magic… I can’t stay here,” Emma stammered, as she thought about what might happen if she didn’t get back as soon as possible.

“You’re confused,” Charming said. “It’s understandable. This is all… well, pretty crazy.”

“But whatever questions you have, just ask us, Emma. We’ve been waiting twenty-eight years for you, but you had no idea,” Snow added in.

Emma drew in a long breath. “Yeah, I do have a question, actually. I’ve wondered my whole life what kind of parents could leave their newborn baby on the side of a highway. I’d come to terms with the fact that I’d never know, and now… well, I think I deserve an explanation of how I ended up in a whole other realm.”

Snow nodded, and looked at Charming, before she spoke. “You have to understand, Emma, we thought we were doing the right thing. We thought we were protecting you.”

“Protecting me from what?”

“There was… a prophecy.”

“A prophecy?” Emma repeated.

“Yes. We… we were so worried that Regina would come for you, that she’d get her revenge on me by coming after my baby. So we made a deal. With Rumplestiltskin.”

“And that’s… bad?” 

“Well, all magic comes with a price,” Charming explained.

“So I’ve been hearing,” Emma said. “What was the deal? What was the price?”

Snow smiled, but it was a little sadder this time. “We asked him to protect you, keep you safe. All he wanted in return was to know your name. What we didn’t know, then, was how much power that actually gave him. You see, he can see the future, and what he told us was that you would grow up and marry Regina, and unite the Kingdom.”

“And you thought that was a bad thing?”

“Yes, the thought that my unborn baby would grow up and marry the woman who was hellbent on killing me seemed just a tad bit undesirable at the time.”

“Right. Okay. So then you did what?”

“We asked how to keep you away from her, and Rumple informed us that the prophecy was only true in this realm. You’d have a different fate someplace else.”

“So you sent me away?”

“It wasn’t only supposed to be you,” Charming insisted. “We were all going to go, to the land without magic. It seemed like the best place because even if Regina could follow us there, she’d be powerless. We’d have the upper hand. So we had Gepetto create a portal from a magical tree, but we didn’t fully understand how it would work. We put you through first, and when we tried to follow, nothing happened. It was a one time pass.”

“But I still ended up with the same fate. I’m still here and Henry, my son, says I’m here to unite the Kingdom.”

“Yes,” Snow continued, “because we also didn’t know at the time, that Rumple was using us as pawns. You had to go to the land without magic to make the prophecy come true. Time here froze the moment you disappeared, and it didn’t start to move again for twenty-eight years, until Regina disappeared.”

“So… what was the point, then? Of any of it? What did Rumple stand to gain?”

“Your son.”

“Henry? What?”

“Don’t worry,” Snow insisted, “He can’t actually get to him. He’s imprisoned. But Rumple failed to inform us of all he saw in your future. He saw the way that different destinies would play out for you, and he chose the one he wanted. He chose the one where you travel to another realm, meet his son, give birth to his grandson, and bring him back here.”

“Neal. Neal is Rumple’s son?”

“He went by Baelfire here,” said Charming. “There wasn’t a single path that brought him back, so Rumple opted for the next best thing, and used us to get it.”

“And now I’m here, and my fate is to marry Regina,” Emma said, nodding as she realized the pieces were starting to fall together.

“But, you don’t have to!” Snow said, a hopeful smile on her face. “You’re here now, you can make a different choice. We can get your son, and you can live here, with us.”

“I can’t. If I don’t marry her, I can’t stay here. Going back that’s… it’s out of the question. We can’t go back now. Henry’d never forgive me and… and I don’t want to.”

“But you can’t want to marry Regina. You don’t know her. You don’t know what she’s like, Emma.”

“I’d like to know her, and marrying her is the only way to ensure I get the chance.” 

“But Emma-”

“No. I may not know her well, but Henry does. He knows her story and he believes in her, so that’s enough for me. Maybe it’s you who doesn’t really know her. I’ve seen her kindness. She’s got a good heart, she’s just been hurt so much. I’m going to try to make that better.”

“Emma-” Snow started, but Emma cut her off.

“No! You can’t change my mind on this. If I don’t marry her, today, Henry and I go back to the land without magic, for good. You sent me away once, you can’t do it to me again. I get this might be hard for you, but isn’t losing me again harder?”

Snow opened her mouth to protest again, but this time, Charming stopped her. “She’s right, Snow,” he said, before turning to Emma. “We’re not going to lose you again. It feels like it’s only been a couple months since we placed you in that wardrobe, but it’s been twenty-eight years for you. We’ll have to trust that you know what you’re doing.”

“Emma, please don’t think I’d ever want to see you go again,” Snow said. “I never wanted to lose you the first time. But Regina’s…”

“I know she’s hurt you,” Emma said, when Snow trailed off, “but I think she’s changed. And this is my destiny. I tried to fight it at first, too, but everything has pushed me in this direction. So you have a choice: call off your bounty on Regina, and give us your blessing, or I leave here today, and I can’t promise you’ll ever see me, or get to know me.”

Snow closed her eyes for a moment, and then spoke. “Fine. But the wedding will happen here, in our palace, where we know for sure you’ll be safe. I’ll send word to Regina.”

Emma went back to her room in her parents’ palace as they got to work planning the event that would take place in only a few hours. She wasn’t overly inclined to help, since she didn’t particularly care about the details of the event, and she didn’t know the first thing about weddings either way. She sat down at the vanity, in front of the mirror, and began brushing her hair.

“There you are,” she heard a familiar voice from inside the room.

“Regina?” Emma asked, turning to look behind her, but the room was still empty and the door was still closed.

“The mirror, Emma,” came Regina’s voice again, and Emma turned back to the mirror in front of her, seeing that Regina’s image had replaced her own.

“Oh, that’s cool,” Emma said, impressed by the magic. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised: she knew all about the Evil Queen and her mirror from the fairy tales she’d read as a child.

“Snow White has sent word to my palace that the wedding shall take place there, this afternoon.”

“Hey, it wasn’t my idea,” Emma said, holding up her hands, defensively. “I’m still not even sure how I got here. Is Henry okay?”

“He’s fine. Better now that he knows you’re okay,” Regina said. “And I think I know how you got there.”

“How?”

“You didn’t feel it last night? When we kissed?”

Emma shook her head. “Feel what?”

“Magic.”

Emma mouth gaped as she nodded slowly. She’d definitely felt something, though she hadn’t had a clue what it was.

“And it came from you,” Regina continued.

“Me?”

“Mm-hmm. I wasn’t completely sure last night, but now that you’ve transported yourself, it’s obvious. I probably awoke it inside of you.”

“I didn’t transport myself,” Emma insisted.

“Yes, you did. I felt the magic in your room this morning when Mildred informed me you were missing. You probably weren’t aware, and I know it wasn’t intentional, but you did.”

“It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t even know where I was.”

“Your heart knew,” Regina said. “And it makes sense. We’re to unite the Kingdom, correct?”

Emma nodded.

“Well, it’s hard to do that when the Kingdom is unaware. You needed to be there. And as much as getting married in Snow’s palace does not appeal to me, I will be there.”

Emma smiled, relieved. “Good. Because all of this is kind of weird. I miss you.”

Regina smiled back. “I’ll see you soon.”

Her visage disappeared from the mirror as there was a knock on the door, and Emma spun around before calling, “come in!”

“Your mother is about to send a tailor in to create a last minute wedding gown for you,” Charming said, as he entered the room.

“Great,” Emma said, though she didn’t bother to hide her distain at the idea of a gown.

“You don’t want it?” Charming asked.

Emma shrugged. “Dresses aren’t really my style. Even this is a little much,” she admitted, motioning at the dress she was currently wearing.

Charming seemed to think for a moment, then a small smile appeared on his lips. “I do have an extensive collection of formal wear myself,” he said. “Perhaps we could ask the tailor to alter something to fit you? If you’d prefer to arrive dressed as a prince, than a princess?”

“I can do that?” Emma asked, excitedly.

“It’s your wedding. You can do whatever you want.”

A wide smile spread across Emma’s face. “Thanks… dad.”

“Of course,” said Charming, and Emma didn’t miss how his voice cracked just a little. “Would it… be presumptuous of me to ask to walk you down the aisle?”

Emma stared at him for a moment, in disbelief.

“Sorry, I’m overstepping-”

“No!” Emma said, quickly. “It’s not that. It’s just… a week ago, I was an orphan. And a single, with no prospects. And now… I’m getting married, and my dad’s gonna walk me down the aisle. It’s just… surreal. It’s like a fairy tale. But for real. And I would be honoured to have you walk me down the aisle.”

“The honour will be mine,” Charming said, giving Emma a small bow before heading to the door. “But for now, let me see what I can rummage up in my wardrobe for you.”


	12. Chapter 12

Emma startled at an unexpected knock on her door, and before she even got a chance to ask who was there, the door flung open, and Henry came bounding into the room.

“Henry,” Emma breathed, relieved to see his face again, as she held open her arms to wrap him in a big hug. “Where’s Regina?”

“Uh, we kind of got intercepted by Snow White on the way in. I guess they’ve got, you know, stuff to discuss before the wedding.”

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Emma agreed, feeling a small knot in her stomach, hoping Regina was okay and wishing she could be there as some sort of emotional support as she faced her nemesis again.

“Are you nervous?” Henry asked. “You look like you might puke.”

“Not gonna puke,” Emma assured him. “But yeah. Little nervous.”

“I thought you’d be excited.”

“I am. Excited, but nervous. This was all kind of fast, and unexpected, you know. And I can’t stop thinking… isn’t a little crazy to marry a woman I just met, like, a week ago?”

Henry shrugged. “It’s a fairy tale. It’s kinda how they are.”

“Fair enough.” 

Another knock at the door, which was still wide open, and Emma turned to see Charming again, and this time he was grinning and holding up a suit fit for a prince. The jacket was red, with a bronze coloured cape draped over it, and black pants and boots.

“What do you think?” Charming asked, stepping into the room.

“I think it’s perfect,” Emma said, smiling and feeling a little bit less nervous now that she had something to wear. “Henry, this is Prince Charming, your, uh… grandfather, I guess.”

“Hey, Gramps,” Henry greeted with a grin, as though it was the most natural thing ever, and then turned back to Emma. “Mom, is this what you’re wearing?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. Still need to have it altered to fit, but yeah. What do you think?”

Henry gave a single approving nod. “I like it. It suits you.”

“Thanks, kid.”

Time was passing in a blur, with the frenzy of getting everything ready so last minute. The tailor had come and gone, and Emma was dressed and waiting anxiously in her room for instructions on what to do next. Henry had gone with Charming to check in on Regina, and since Emma didn’t have a clue where Regina actually, let alone any idea what the layout of this palace was, she decided it would be best to stay put until someone came to get her, though her anxiety was rising with the thought that she probably wouldn’t get to see Regina again until the ceremony.

She jumped at the next knock on her open door, and glanced up from where she was sitting on the edge of her bed to see Snow White standing there, dressed in a light pink gown, her hair already done up, and smiling, though Emma could tell it was still a little forced.

“It’s almost time,” she said.

“Really?” Emma asked, scrunching up her nose.

“You’re not having second thoughts?”

“No.” Emma shook her head quickly. “Just nerves. Never done this before, you know?”

Snow smiled again, more genuinely this time. “You’ll be fine. Do you have a ring?”

Emma blanched, her fingers moving instinctively to the engagement ring on her left hand. “No. I… where would I even get one?”

“I figured you didn’t,” Snow said, stepping closer to Emma and holding out her hand, revealing a small box. “I had this made before you were born. Before we knew about the prophecy. It was intended to be part of your dowry.”

Emma curled her lip in disgust at the idea.

“It’s how this world works, Emma,” Snow said. “But, since you won’t have a dowry, I thinking perhaps you’d like to give it to Regina?”

Emma pondered the idea for a moment, before taking the box from Snow’s hand. She opened it, revealing a beautiful, and extremely expensive looking ring, shimmering with diamonds.

“Wow.”

Snow smiled and sat down tentatively next to Emma on the bed. “I’m sorry that I was so… opposed to the idea of this marriage earlier. I know it’s been twenty eight years, but to me, it feels like only a few short months have passed since you were a newborn, and we were terrified of losing you.”

Emma shrugged. “It’s okay.”

Snow sighed. “No, it’s not. But I’ll make it up to you. I hope you can see that I’m trying to make a start, with this gesture. And maybe you are right about Regina. There was a time that I believed in her. I’ve seen good in her. I thought it was gone but… well, if you’ve seen it too, maybe it’s not. And maybe this prophecy was about more than just uniting the Kingdom. She deserves a second chance.”

Before she knew it, Emma was standing outside a set of large white doors, chewing on the inside of her lip as her eyes darted around nervously, not really taking in anything they landed on.

“Emma, you’ve gotta breathe,” Charming reminded her. 

Emma nodded, and let go of the breath she was holding in. “In my world, they do rehearsals for these things,” Emma said, barely recognizing her own voice as she spoke.

Charming smiled, as the door opened a crack, and Henry motioned for them to come in.

“It’s time,” Charming whispered, as Henry pushed the door wide open, with a big grin. 

Emma could barely hear the music playing over the sound of her own heart pounding as they stepped into the room. The seats were all filled, and several people were standing around the outside of the room, and Emma wondered where on earth all they had all come from.

As she walked down the aisle, people gasped and stood up, trying to get a better look at her, and it occurred to her that all of them would have known about the impending arrival of the baby princess, and they had all learned very recently that she was back, and all grown up now.

She tried not to make eye contact with anyone as she neared the front of the room. Snow White stood and gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek when she reached the front of the room, and Charming walked her up to the place she was meant to stand. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as well, before going over to join his wife in the front row.

Emma drew in a deep breath as she watched the large door at the other end of the aisle open again, and Regina stepped in. Henry grinned from beside her, holding out his arm to walk her down the aisle.

The sight of her was enough to quell Emma’s nerves in an instant. Suddenly, everyone else in the room seemed to disappear. Regina wore a dress of ivory silk, that was tight in the bodice and waist, with a skirt that flowed while she walked. Her dress had a sweetheart top, with tiny glass bead embellishments that caught the light from the large stained glass windows, and her hair was loose and curled, swept back from her face and tumbling down her back.

It wasn’t at all how Emma had imagined she’d dress for their wedding, but she quickly realized that Regina looked reminiscent of how she’d painted her most recently; innocent and free of all the awful things she’d done, and that had been done to her.

When she reached the front, Emma held out her hands to take both of Regina’s, as Henry bounded off to stand with Snow White and Charming, to watch. Emma barely heard anything the minister said as she stared into Regina’s dark eyes. Suddenly, nothing else mattered - not New York, or portals, or magic, or prophecies or anything. Nothing mattered except this moment. They weren’t here to unite any kingdoms. They were here to become a family.

“You look beautiful,” Emma whispered, and Regina smiled.

“As do you,” Regina said. “Or should I say, handsome? My dashing prince.”

Emma grinned and squeezed Regina’s hands as the minister began to speak. She repeated her vows in a haze, and when she pulled out the ring to place on Regina’s finger, Regina gave her a surprised smile, and held out her left hand. Emma’s own hand shook and she carefully slid the ring on. Before she knew it, she was being told that she could kiss her bride, and she smiled, reaching out to lace her fingers through the hair at the back of Regina’s head as she pulled her closer.

When their lips met, Emma felt the same jolt of electric energy that she now recognized as magic shoot between them, and she wrapped her other arm around Regina, pulling her as close as she could, as she heard guests applauding. It struck her as odd for only a moment, that anyone would be cheering on this union at all, but she didn’t question it as she deepened their kiss.

It was Regina who pulled away first, stopping to lean into Emma’s ear and whisper, “how about we save something for after the reception, hmm?”

To say that the reception was an awkward one, would have been an understatement, as guests clambered to get a better look at Emma, while simultaneously trying to avoid the former Evil Queen at her side. Only a few actually came up to offer their congratulations.

“Emma!” Emma turned when she heard a familiar voice behind her, and smiled as she watched Red and Granny hurrying up.

“You came!”

“Of course we came,” said Red, shaking her head at the notion that they wouldn’t have. “Didn’t you know I’ve been friends with your mom forever?”

Emma shook her head. “No… I actually didn’t.”

“Well,” Red said, looking at Regina, then back to Emma, “I just wanted to offer my congratulations. Not exactly how I imagined seeing you again, but I, for one, am glad you never made it back to your own realm.”

“So am I,” Emma agreed, squeezing Regina’s hand as she said it. “Turns out home was a lot closer than Henry and I realized.”

"And now you've got great stories to tell. If you're still considering becoming bards," Red said with a wink.

“You did it!” Emma heard a voice from behind her before she even had a chance to answer.

Emma turned again, to see Aurora hurrying up, Mulan close behind. “You saved the Queen and united the Kingdom, just like Henry said.”

“Well,  _ we _ united the Kingdom,” Emma corrected, casting a smile at Regina. 

“And I heard it was a dragon,” Mulan said, looking impressed.

Emma nodded, and glanced at Regina again. “This is Mulan. She’s the one who taught me how to use a sword.”

“I suppose I owe you my gratitude, then,” Regina said, offering a smile.

Mulan smiled back, though Emma could tell she was still a little uneasy around Regina. She supposed that was how it would be, for a while at least. She might not have seen Regina at her worst, but all of these people had. 

“You wanna get out of here,” Emma asked, leaning in closer to Regina as Red, Aurora and Mulan all made their way back into the crowd of guests.

“You don’t want to mingle?”

Emma shrugged. “That’s about the extent of everyone I know in this realm, so…”

Regina smiled. “You think your parents would be willing to babysit tonight?”

“So, do I, like… go back to my old room? Or do we share a room now? How does this go?” Emma asked, inwardly kicking herself for her own awkwardness, now that she and Regina were alone again, in Regina’s palace. Henry had wanted to stay at the reception, and to their relief, Snow had agreed to let him stay there for the night, so they could spend their wedding night alone together, even if she had tried to convince them to stay a little longer.

“I’m not opposed to sharing a room,” Regina replied. “If you’d like.”

“Cool,” said Emma, with a smile. “I’ll just, uh, go change, and uh, come to your room then?”

“Our room,” Regina corrected, before setting off down the corridor.

Emma all but sprinted back to her old room, ripping off her clothes without a hint of grace, and dropping them on the bed. She quickly changed into a loose tunic and ran a brush through her hair, before stepping back into the corridor and heading back to Regina’s room.

When she arrived, the door was open, and Regina was sitting at her vanity, removing hairpins from her updo. She was in a night dress that fell to her knees, which had thin straps and was cut low in the back. Emma guessed she could have fixed her hair with magic, and she wondered if she was doing this on purpose, to make Emma stop in her tracks and just stare.

“Hey,” said Emma, announcing her presence as she stepped up behind Regina.

“Hello,” Regina replied, the hint of a smile visible from her reflection in the mirror. “That was quick.”

“Didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Emma said, trying to appear nonchalant with a small shrug.

“Wise choice. Why don’t you go get in bed? I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Okay,” Emma said, though she didn’t really want to step away from Regina just yet. Seeing so much of her bare skin made Emma eager to touch her, kiss her-

She stopped herself. They may be married now, but they’d still only kissed up to this point, and Emma didn’t want to be too presumptuous that Regina was open to more just yet.

So she slid into Regina’s large bed, and watched her from a distance, until Regina finally got up and made her way over, her hips swaying seductively with every step she took. She slid into bed next to Emma, and studied her face carefully. 

“You okay?” she asked, finally.

“Yeah,” said Emma. “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Marriage, I guess.”

“Well, I guess that’s fair,” Regina replied with a small laugh. “Did you ever plan on getting married? Would you have, if not for all of this?”

“Well, not like this, but… maybe? I don’t know… it’s been so long since I even had a prospect. It wasn’t exactly been on my mind. It wasn’t even in the realm of possibilities, really.”

“But you wanted to, right?”

“Well, it’s a little late for cold feet now, isn’t it?” Emma replied with a laugh, but she could tell Regina was serious. “I want to stay here, with you, and it’s the only way, so yeah. I wanted to. I have no regrets. Do you?”

“This isn’t the first marriage I’ve had forced upon me.”

“Yeah.”

“But somehow,” Regina continued, “even though I didn’t choose this, deep down, it still feels like I did. Isn’t that odd?”

“Well, you did have a choice. You could have said no, and sent me and Henry back to New York. Nothing was stopping you.”

“Something was.”

“What?”

“My heart. I didn’t want you to go.”

Emma couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face, that mirrored the one that Regina was giving her. Before she could even think of making a move, Regina was moving closer, lacing her fingers in Emma’s hair and pulling her in for a kiss.

“So… I guess this is the part where we consummate the marriage, right?” Emma asked, tentatively, when their lips parted.

“Consummate?”

“Yeah, it means-”

“I know what it means,” Regina said, shaking her head despite her smile. “Just wasn’t the word I’d expect you to use.”

“Oh. Yeah. I was trying to be, like… I dunno. Not vulgar. Since you’re a Queen, and all.”

“You seem nervous,” Regina observed.

“Yeah, well… it’s been a while. And also, you’re a Queen. And all.”

“You’re a princess.”

“True.”

“So what does the prophecy say? Do we consummate the marriage now?” Regina asked, her voice playful, which was helping Emma relax a bit.

“I don’t think the prophecy was super clear on that. Luckily, I just became a prophet.”

“Oh, you did. How convenient. Princess, knight, prophet… so what do you see in my future?”

“Hmm…” Emma said, lazily rolling so she hovered a little over Regina, one arm draping over her abdomen. “I see… kisses.”

“Oh, I like that,” said Regina, as Emma leaned in to kiss her long and slow on the mouth.

“And  _ neck _ kisses,” Emma murmured, breaking away from Regina’s lips to move to her neck, kissing and sucking her pulse point. She heard Regina let out a small gasp, and then felt her fingers lacing through her hair, holding her head in place.

“What else?” Regina breathed out, her voice low and husky with want.

“Me-” she slid the strap of Regina’s night dress from her shoulder and kissed the bare skin there, “worshipping every inch of your skin-” she peppered kisses along Regina’s collarbone, “-with my mouth.”

Regina was breathing heavily now, as Emma moved to straddle her on her hands and knees.

“And,” Emma whispered, leaning in close to Regina’s ear, “I see a lot of orgasms in your future.”

“Well let’s get to it then,” said Regina, waving a hand as magic enveloped them both. It only took a moment for Emma to realize that they were both now completely naked.

“Whoa,” she said, her eyes widening in surprise. “That was… cool. And convenient.”

“Enough talking,” said Regina, lacing her fingers through Emma’s hair again and staring up at her with eyes full of desire. “Show me what else that mouth of yours is good for.” 

Regina lay on Emma’s bare chest, spent from lovemaking, watching the moon outside the window while Emma laced her fingers lazily through her hair.

“You weren’t kidding about the orgasms,” Regina said, finally, causing Emma to let out a small laugh.

“Good to know I’ve still got the magic touch.”

“Magic,” Regina said, tapping Emma on the chest with one finger, as though she had suddenly remembered something important. “That’s something we’re going to need to discuss. Your magic, specifically. You’ll need lessons.”

Emma groaned. “School?”

“I can teach you, don’t worry,” Regina said, with a small laugh. “I take it you don’t have the affinity for formal schooling that your son does?”

“ _ Our  _ son,” Emma corrected. 

Regina sighed. “I wasn’t the best stepmother the first time, you know.”

“Well, that was different. Henry already adores you, and I can tell you feel the same way. Plus, this isn’t the same as your first marriage.”

“No, it’s not. You’re right about that,” Regina agreed. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“When I was first married to the King, I used to wish for a white knight to come and save me from that life. After a while, I gave up on that hope. But now… well, here you are. My savior.”

Emma smiled, and leaned down to kiss the top of Regina’s hair. “My Queen,” she murmured. “And now I’m here for good, and we can start a beautiful adventure together.”

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you want more to the story! I already have an idea for the sequel, if people are interested!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Art] A Place In Your World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20382139) by [Sarconistia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarconistia/pseuds/Sarconistia)


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